Healer
by Meii-chan
Summary: Megumi is dropped into the world of young Soujiro some time at the beginning of the Meiji Era. The Juppongatana embark on a different ten year journey without the leadership of Shishio Mokoto. Alternate Events; Alternate Pairings (SouMeg)
1. Doctor Megumi

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me. Such luck does not come to me to be the creator of such a well written/drawn manga/anime no matter how many four-leaf clovers there are in my backyard. That is my disclaimer for the entire fic. I'm too lazy to come up with new ones anymore…

Summary: What if some strange author decided to drop Takani Megumi into the world of Seta Soujiro? What will happen when Shishio and Kanryuu come popping into the story line? AU. Major OOC-ness for Megumi. 

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 1- Doctor Megumi

~Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; October 16, 1868~

           Takani Megumi lounged around, reading a novel, awaiting the doctor's orders. She was an apprentice after all, just there to perform the frivolous tasks the aged doctor didn't have the energy to do.  Granted, Yoshimaru-sensei was an ancient man in both reflexes and strength, but he did possess an array of medicinal knowledge that most doctors envy. Thus, Megumi had stuck with him, hoping to someday become a doctor herself. 

            "Megumi-chan, be a good girl and fetch some water." The aged doctor told her, handing her a shallow wood bucket in the process. 

            Megumi complied, even though she had no idea as to where to draw water from. Despite the aged doctor's lack of overall endurance, he was a traveling doctor, going wherever sickness appeared.  While treating people, they stayed at a patient's home, where they received room and board free of all charge. In a new place every few weeks, Megumi had become rather disoriented, not knowing where everything was. This time, they where staying in the home of a wealthy rice merchant, whose wife was ill. She headed to the main common room of the house to query a member of the immediate family. 

            Upon arrival at the closed door, Megumi lifted her fist to knock upon the hard, wooden door. Then she stopped, as the sound of cursing, crashing, and colliding resonated through the wall and into her ears. Curious, she slid back a fraction of the door, and peeked inside.

            "Stupid brat!" The father of the household kicked a young boy through the opposite door. Upon landing on the ground, the boy looked up at the taller man, smiling pleasantly.

            "I told you to move a hundred bags of rice into the western barn! Can't you do anything?! What the heck are you grinning about?!" Enraged, he threw a nearby empty sake bottle at the child; the ceramic bottle breaking into pieces as it collided with his forehead. 

            Megumi turned away, shutting the door silently behind her, unable to bring herself to witness anymore. Still on her quest to retrieve water, she went outside by a different route. "I'll just…try to find a well on my own." She still shook with distress, as if some cold, icy hand had trailed fingers along her back.

            Circling the immense property, Megumi found a well nestled between a warehouse and the western gate. 

Reaching for the rope to haul up some water, she saw another hand, smaller than her own, take hold of the coarse twine. Looking to her right, she was shocked to see the same boy she saw a few minutes ago. 

"Here, let me help you, Ojou-san (1)." The child said quietly. He drew up the water, and poured it into Megumi's bucket. 

Megumi was in utter shock. "Umm…Thank you…" There was a long pause. "You didn't need to help me. It's only water."

The boy smiled at her. "That's alright. I don't mind. Good night." He started to walk away, towards the warehouse. 

"Wait!" Megumi scurried after him. "Can I see you again tonight?" 

"Sure. I have to finish my work, but after that, I'll still be here." 

Megumi dusted off invisible dust from her apron. "I'll see you again as soon as the doctor lets me." Picking up the bucket of water, she added, "I won't be long."

Watching Megumi walk off into the brightly lit house, the child struggled with the bale of rice. "How strange…" he mused, and then proceeded to haul the bale into the warehouse.

* * * * * *

"I've come with the water." 

Megumi came into the room and placed the bucket in front of the aged doctor. 

"That took a while, didn't it?" the aged doctor commented.

"I guess. I'm tired" Megumi feigned a yawn, trying to convince the aged doctor of her excuse. So far, it was working. "How are they?" 

The aged doctor was tired as well. "It is late, isn't it? I'd guess around ten…" Then his speech became incoherent, as it usually did when describing the illnesses of his patients while placing a wet cloth on the patient's head.  Megumi did not catch a single word of what he said.

"Yoshimaru-sensei, I think it's best if you retired for the night. They'll be fine through the night, right?" 

"Hmm… I suppose you're right." The aged doctor slowly rose from his seated position and made his way to his sleeping room. "Sweet dreams. Megumi-chan." 

Megumi also went to her own room. She waited a while, until she was sure all the other people inside the house were asleep. Meanwhile, she tried to think of a way to sneak the boy in with the most direct route. A window about meter from the ground in her room suited the task perfectly. It was simple for her to travel through in her kimono, and she didn't have to risk traveling through the main corridor.

Megumi crawled though the window, and went to the well. There she found the boy, sitting next to a fortuitously placed bale of rice. "Hello, are you awake?" She pulled up some water. He nodded. "Alright. Come with me."

Arriving at the window, Megumi left the bucket on the ground and climbed in. A few moments later, she motioned for the boy to hand her the water, which went into the room as well. Finally, she motioned the boy to climb through. 

He struggled, as the window was at level with his head, and he was simply too tired to jump off from the ground. Thus, Megumi was prompted to pull him over the windowsill. 

As she pulled a bit too hard, they crashed onto the floor, Megumi being at the bottom of the two person pile. The collision spawned a loud dissonant sound, which persisted to resonate throughout the edifice. After a few seconds, the jarring noise was replaced by a deafening silence. 

Megumi sat up, forgetting about the person on top of her. It was only at his rapid apologies of "Gomen nasai! (2)" that Megumi remembered she wasn't the only person in the room. 

Megumi turned to her companion, and bent down towards his smaller form. "Don't worry; I'm not going to hit you." She said, as the boy cringed at her movement, still smiling. His timidity was not surprising, as she had seen what the boy had gone through. "Well, I've felt terribly impolite until now. You don't even know my name." Megumi suppressed a giggle rising out of her at the sight of his confused face. "My name's Takani Megumi."

"I'm Soujiro." 

"Soujiro…" _How cute_, Megumi mused to herself before becoming extremely ashamed. "…however, I guess I'm the one who has to apologize to you. I didn't do anything when…um…" Megumi looked away, busying herself with the bucket of water. Soujiro looked at her with an expression of pure confusion and naïveté. Megumi had managed to fish out a lacy handkerchief from the sleeve of her dark blue kimono. Wetting it in the water, she wiped off some blood from Soujiro's forehead. "Well, you got hurt, so I want to help you."

"I'm okay. You shouldn't bother."

"Why shouldn't I bother? It's not like I'm myself doing any harm!" she retorted, her mind steadily becoming foxier. "Besides, you helped me draw up water earlier, didn't you? I didn't need assistance, but you got the water anyway."

"But…"

Putting on her signature vixen grin, Megumi cut off Soujiro before he could protest. "That's why saying you don't need help isn't going to stop me." 

One can almost see white flags waving in the background as Soujiro gave up resisting. 

"See, that whole argument was pointless…" Megumi murmured, producing an immense quantity of small lacquered jars and rolls of bandages. She had a vague notion that ten rolls were really too much, but having extra bandages were always reassuring. _Especially if you're bleeding black and blue_, she mentally noted, peeling back the oversized gi that was partially crusted over by blood. 

Soujiro gaped and the amount of items Megumi had pulled from her sleeves. So far, he had seen a lacy handkerchief, a sundry of lacquered jars, and ten or so rolls of milky white bandages. "How did you…?"

"Abysmal sleeves…" she answered, now taking a lacquered jar and applying some of its contents across Soujiro's skin. "Don't flinch so much. I know, it stings a lot, but this liniment is supposed to help the cuts mend faster—what did you do to deserve this anyway?"

"I exist."

"What?!" Megumi stopped in mid smear.

"Megumi-san? Did I say something wrong?"

"You get beaten up because you exist? That's insane." She hissed between her teeth. "There has to be something else."

"I guess so…" Soujiro trailed off, omitting any details. "But, it's fine. I'll get by."

"It's not right…" Megumi mumbled to herself, winding the creamy white bandages around Soujiro. "Don't these people know that they're supposed to help people no matter who they are?" 

"Megumi-san…" he wasn't listening to her hushed rants, he was quite preoccupied with worrying over what his adopted family would do if they saw all the bandages Megumi was swathing him in now. The one on his forehead he could live with…it was impossible to see under his dark bangs…Still, they'll probably accuse him of wasting bandages.

"Hmm?"

Then he realized Megumi had finished bandaging him up.

"Nevermind."

Megumi shrugged. A sudden though came to her mind. "Say…you haven't stopped smiling since I've met you…why?"

Megumi's simple question seemed to stop the passage of time. Neither person spoke—Megumi because she was waiting for a reply, Soujiro because he never felt that he needed to elaborate more on his life. 

"It's a long story." He finally concluded.

_Yeah, right_. "You mean long story as in 'it's-actually-quite-short-but-I-don't-really-want-to-tell-you' or is it 'it's-actually-quite-a-long-story-and-I-forgot-half-of-it.'?" 

"Areh…" Soujiro didn't want to lose his newfound, if somewhat prying, friend by disclosing too much information, so he did the first thing that came into his mind. Soujiro shrugged.

Megumi, at the very least, seemed to be satisfied with his ambiguous response. "Well, it's getting really late. You want to stay here? It gets really cold this time of the year. It's almost winter." She offered. "…actually, I insist; you'll get hypothermia otherwise."

"No thanks." He replied, not knowing exactly who of what hypothermia is.

Soujiro was halfway out the window when Megumi had an ingenious idea. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a fuzzy blanket. "Here, take this with you and try not to freeze to death, or else…"

"Sure…Thank you…" The blanket Megumi and offered him was so…pink…But Soujiro knew better than to refuse. _She'll probably guilt me into taking it either way…_"Oyasumi nasai (3), Megumi-san."

"Oyasumi Sou-chan."

"Sou-chan?" Now that wasn't something he was called everyday.

With Soujiro gone, Megumi was left alone with her own thoughts.

"Wherefore is it that the world despises you? (4)

What lies behind your blank and empty smile?

Is it not that every child is precious, a jewel?

Yet they treat you like some malicious bile.

Like a fresh blossom in midst of weed,

Which envies flora's angelical light,

As baleful weed devour the flow'r in greed (5)

The flow'r ne'er cease to grin, making no fight.

Sweet Sou-chan, shall you go on forever,

Awaiting your own demise bittersweet?

Oh rebel, protest! These cruel ties sever!

For I cannot stand these actions discreet.

Please pride in yourself, receive my good aid,

Lest you be consumed and like flowers fade."

A sudden scream pierced the night's calm. Megumi abruptly ceased to continue her sleep-induced soliloquy as she heard mumbled curses from down the corridor—apparently the others have been awoken. 

_Well, at least I'll have an excuse for being sleepy in the morning_, she thought. _But I shouldn't think too much into that noise…it's probably just a bunch of samurai who have nothing to do but to annoy the government…_

And with that thought, she fell asleep.

* * * * * *

Soujiro had also heard the hair-raising scream inside the dusty rice warehouse. His curiosity was on the verge of dragging him into the street to see what was happening, but his overall instinct convinced him to stay inside, and, as Megumi had predicted, it was rather chilly outside. Being that freezing to death was currently not on top of his list of priorities, Soujiro sat among the immense rice barrels, covered in Megumi's pink blanket. 

I'm pretty sure Megumi-san is just something my mind made up…no one in the world can possibly be that nice. But…I don't really care if she's real or not, it's nice to see to see a tenshi (6) once in a while…

* * * * * *

Outside, on the now empty streets of Yokohama, a man was walking briskly out of town. He had two swords, one long, one short. As he walked, the many linen bandages around him trailed across the ground, like a grotesque robe of a demon emperor.

Unbeknownst to anyone, another man was also walking into Yokohama. Instead of having two swords like the previous man, he only carried one. A sudden unveiling of the full moon illuminated his crimson hair. As misty clouds covered the moon again, he disappeared into darkness. 

Glossary/Annotations:

1. Ojou-san – Miss.

2. Gomen (nasai) – I'm sorry

3. Oyasumi (nasai) – Good night

4. Wherefore – meaning Why, not Where

5. Flow'r – it is supposed to be flower, but there are too many syllables in the word for it too fit.

6. Tenshi – Angel 

A/N: I've never seen a Soujiro/Megumi fanfic, thus I am writing one. One might argue that Soujiro and Megumi can never be a couple because Megumi is older than he is, and they never met in the series. However, Soujiro and Kaoru never met, and there are plenty of Sou/Kao fanfics out there. Besides, if Megumi likes (flirts with) Kenshin so much, she might like Soujiro, who is sometimes viewed as a carbon-copy of the dear rurouni/hitokiri (Although I really think that Soujiro is totally different—Just imagine Soujiro going off to the revolution and disobeying Shishio…) Anyhow…

It's pretty strange motivation for me, but I feel like writing something with chibi-people. But for some odd reason I'm also against changing the entire past of characters, because then they wouldn't be the same after a given amount of time. Oh well…I'm not very rooted into the idea anyway. Actually, I sometimes see myself as Megumi; (though not her capricious and flirtatious nature) I want to get into medical school. (Also note that I'm not in medical school and I know practically nothing about medicine.) ^_^ 

As another note…I wrote a Shakespearean sonnet! o_O! The end of the world is coming! Then again, looking back at it (since I wrote the chapter in a matter of months) the poem is REALLY bad. Especially since I tried to use old English! Ack… Shakespeare had way too much time on his hands. And to think I actually tried iambic pentameter! English class must have really gotten to me…

So they're all stuck in that rice place! And how will they do with two mysterious (*cough* not really *cough*) people wandering around?


	2. Of Mummies and Men

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 2- Of Mummies and Men

            It was a clear and beautiful day. Anyone would agree that the weather conditions were like that of a calm painting. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Megumi was making some ohagi (1) for lunch. 

"Hmm…I wonder if I made too much…" she said to herself as the pile of sticky rice balls grew. Megumi carefully picked up the tray and set it down on the table in the main room.

"I just made some ohagi! You asked me about making them didn't you?" Megumi asked, attempting to sound as polite and respectable as she possibly could. After all, the entire rice merchant's family, minus the wife and baby, was there. 

The daughter, Kageiro (2) picked up a riceball and sampled it. Immediately her face lit up. "I just love ohagi! Did you know that in ancient times eating them meant that you were very privileged? You're very good at making these Megumi-chan!" Kageiro rambled on in the haughtiest manner to Megumi and her eldest brother, Ichiro (3) the blunt swordsman. "I can tell you come from a wealthy background…"

Megumi sighed, slipping extra ohagi into her sleeve for later. _Is social status all these people care about?_ "Seta-san," she said as she addressed the rice merchant, who was taking a swig of rice wine, "You shouldn't drink so much sake (4)."

"Don't mind me, I'm just drinking away my sorrow over my ill-fated wife…" No doubt about it, the guy was drunk.

"Err…right." 

The aged doctor, who since then was sitting quietly over a bowl of dried herbs, spoke up. "Megumi-chan is quite correct, Seta-san. Drinking sake in excess causes serious health conditions later in life."

"It's fine. Father should be able to do what he wants." Yanosuke, the second brother told the aged doctor in a breath between smoking his pipe. "How's mother doing, Yoshimaru-sensei?"

"She's doing fairly well, in fact…" And conversation returned to normalcy. Until,

"WE NEED A DOCTOR! IS THERE ONE HERE?" 

The voice from outside caused everyone to stop immediately in surprise. The entire group hurried outside the courtyard, to a scene where a few slaughtered policemen, still carrying government issued swords and guns, were piled up next to the courtyard fence.

The voice that called them out belonged to another policeman, who was not injured or falling apart. "Oh, good citizens, you must help this policeman" he told the group, indicating a faceless individual among the pile of carcasses. "It seems that he's still alive."

"I can see that," the aged doctor replied solemnly. "Seta-san, may I use your home as a place to treat him?"

The rice merchant nodded. "Every noble and righteous human being would." This would surely make him more popular, he thought.

The aged doctor then instructed Ichiro and Megumi to bring the barely living policeman into the house. When they disappeared into the house Yanosuke began to bombard the policeman with questions. "What happened here? Are we under government speculation? Are there terrorists going around? Huh? Huh?"

The policeman answered in a stoic and almost practiced way. "We sent a squad of policemen, our finest, to track down a certain rebel from the war. We believe that this man is still at large in this area. I bid you to be wary of strange individuals."

"What does he look like?"

"From descriptions from police headquarters in Kyoto, we know that the rebel was burned all over, and is therefore clothed by an immense amount of bandages. Some witnesses that have survived him tell us that he resembles some sort of demon, almost like those mummies western archeologists found in burial tombs in Egypt."

"I see, he's very good, isn't he?"

"Indeed. You can already tell that by the way he massacred almost all of our elite members. We have no idea where he's going, so we're asking everyone to take note of any strangers in town. If you can provide us with information about the rebel's whereabouts, we shall reward you very generously for your cooperation."

"Thank you, that is all I need to know for the moment."

* * * * * *

The day was not so pleasant to Soujiro. The sun was shining a bit too brightly, making the day too hot. And the black and white swallows singing from a bare birch tree sounded like they were mocking him, saying, "look, even wild birds like us have it better than you do!" And all the while, the bales of rice grew heavier and heavier as the day grew on.

As he plodded on along the dusty dirt path, he heard snippets of conversation between his two older brothers. 

"Did you hear the news, Nii-san? (5) "

"About that escaped rebel from the war? Yeah, dad told me about it."

"It seems like the police are having a hard time finding him."

"I'll bet." Then Ichiro took notice of Soujiro waling by. "Hey, Soujiro!"

"Y-Yes?" he replied, dropping the bale of rice in the process. 

"You've been night outside for the last few days, have you seen or heard anything? If you did, you better tell us." Ichiro proceeded to grab the front of Soujiro's faded blue gi. "If you hide anything, I'll find out!" He threw Soujiro to the ground. "It'll give me a chance to show off my sword skills. I'll kill the rebel!" And with that said, he brought his sword out of its scabbard and slashed the bale of rice on the ground. The milky grains spilled out, littering the ground. 

"There you go again. You can't just wave swords around without thinking like that." Yanosuke reprimanded his older brother.

"Nevermind. What are we going to do about the rice?"

"I guess we have no choice." Yanosuke shot an evil glance at Soujiro. The he started to raise his voice. "Soujiro! You ruined another bag of rice! What a mess!" The shoji door behind them immediately opened, revealing a very drunk and equally furious rice merchant.

"What! You're not getting away with it this time!"

* * * * * *

"Sou-chan, if they always kick you around like that, why don't you do anything? All you do is smile at them, it's almost like you're encouraging them!" Megumi asked for the umpteenth time, getting annoyed that her earlier attempts had brought her no answers. She was amidst her nocturnal "patching up Sou-chan" ritual.

"What else can I do?" He asked blankly, munching on leftover ohagi.

A number of excuses Megumi had made up over the years popped up in her mind. "You can blame it on someone, say you didn't do it, say it was an accident, make puppy dog eyes, attack them…" As she listed each one, Megumi pointed to a different finger.

Soujiro's smile widened, as if he was teasing her. "I know that already. They don't work." He remembered all the times he had tried to rebel against his adopted family when he was younger. "I yelled at them and cried when I first came here, but it'll just add fuel to the fire. They'll tell me to stop talking back to them and be grateful I have a place to stay. If I ignore them, they'll eventually stop." He glanced over at Megumi. "I'm in no position to say this, but, stop looking at me like that."

"But it's evil! They're all evil demons!"

"It's not that bad…It's kind of my fault anyway."

"Humph! It doesn't matter to me whose fault it is. Everyone should be treated the same!" Megumi stated, including the idealistic principle of Takani medicine in her reply.

_I know that you think idealistically. That's why you're my friend, right?_ "By the way, you cook really well!" Soujiro said, quickly changing the subject.

Megumi sighed, exasperated. "Not to be mean to you, but everyone tells me that. Ohagi taste good no matter who makes it. My mother taught me how to make them last year. Oh! And a squad of police officers was attacked just yesterday. One of them is alive, and we're treating him now. It turns out there's some psycho-killer around here."

"I've heard. A rebel from the war that looks like a demon covered in bandages?"

"Yeah."

"I'd really hate to be one of those policemen."

"Gee, I wonder why." Megumi replied sarcastically. 

"Getting cut by a sword must hurt a lot more than just getting hit. Megumi-san, maybe it'll be better for you if you help the policeman more." Soujiro advised Megumi. _Besides, it's better for you to help someone who has a real life._

"But then, what about you?"

"Don't worry. I can't die that quickly."

* * * * * *

Megumi was once again sent by the aged doctor to gather random medicinal and non-medicinal items. Now the old man was first attending to the rice merchant's wife, the policeman, never really focusing much on either one. But by some stroke of luck from the gods, both of them were alive. However, Megumi was beginning to doubt in Yoshimaru-sensei's skill as a doctor.

"Megumi-chan, you seem less energetic than usual. Is something the matter? Are you all right?" Queried the doctor. He stroked his long ashen beard with his fingers, wrinkled with age, and observed Megumi.

Megumi thought that maybe the aged doctor would be able to help her. "Yoshimaru-sensei, I can tell you, if you agree not to make this known to anyone else."

The aged doctor nodded understandably. "Very well, if you really feel that way, of course. Everyone has secrets."

The aged doctor's affirmative response led Megumi to go on. "You know, the rice guy doesn't just have two sons and a daughter. There's another one…"

"Oh, yes. Soujiro, was it?" the aged doctor cut in.

Megumi looked at the aged doctor with disbelief. "You know?"

"Why yes. Seta-san informed me when we came." He spoke resolutely. "They advised me to pay no attention to him, as my work is with the wife."

"But, but, but, don't you see what they're doing to him?!" It took every strand of willpower Megumi had to keep her voice down and not scream at the aged doctor at that very moment.

"Now, now. Megumi calm down. You'll get high blood pressure that way. Allow me to explain. From what I know, Soujiro's mother was their father's mistress. Therefore he is not of legitimate origin. Because of their social status as merchants, they have to keep a good reputation, or their business is doomed. Thus, the general public cannot be informed about Soujiro. You understand that, don't you, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi looked grim. "Even though you know this, why don't you help him? That's what doctors do, right?"

"Do people really want our help?"

She stared at the aged doctor. _No, Soujiro never asked for my help. He didn't want it. But…_ "What about the policeman? He never told us he still wanted to live."

"No. But there are people who still want him to live on—his family, friends. Soujiro has no one. As an old man and a doctor, I know that sometimes death is better than life. The reason I chose not to help Soujiro is not because I need to stay on good terms with my customer, but because an illegitimate child has no chance for a happy life in this world. It's cruel to say this, but he'll be better off in death, where he can finally be free." 

The aged doctor then changed the topic in quite a drastic way. "Megumi, will you get more bandages for policeman-san here? I saw some in a cupboard in the kitchen. Get five or six rolls please. It think he's going to bleed all over the tatami (6) mat at this rate."

"Five or six rolls?" Megumi glanced skeptically at the aged doctor and then the wounded policeman. "policeman-san" was going to look more like the rebel than the rebel himself when the aged doctor finishes him.

* * * * * *

Kageiro was sewing by a dim kerosene lamp in the main room, surrounded by her father and brothers. All she should concentrate on was the silvery thread that created her embroidered mouse. Ichiro sat across from her, polishing his sword. All was quite, save for the incessant plunk of the needle and the gurgle of sake pouring into her father's cup.

"Ow! Stupid sword." Ichiro muttered, seeing that he had sliced his own thumb.

"Again? Nice going." Kageiro quipped. "I'll go get some bandages. Next time, watch what you're doing with that thing." He left the room on her quest to the kitchen to get bandages. A moment later, she stuck her head back in. "Have any of you seen the bandages? I couldn't find them."

The replies were a homogeneous "No."

"Maybe Soujiro took them." Yanosuke suggested.

Kageiro looked at her useless brother with contempt. "I already thought of that. There's no way he could've used them all. I know we had five rolls…"

"Hey, didn't they say the escaped rebel was covered in burns?" asked Ichiro, who, for once, was using his brain.

Everyone looked at him, and after five seconds, what he or she thought was the truth, sank in. They gasped in unison.

"Soujiro you brat!"

* * * * * *

"Achoo!" Soujiro sneezed. Maybe he should have stayed in the warehouse. _Or is someone talking about me? Oh well, it doesn't really matter. _

He went on observing a small white butterfly that was fluttering around the herb garden. However, nothing grew in that garden, only weeds. He watched as a mouse, or what appeared to be a mouse, pounce upon the butterfly, pinning it against the ground. He saw the mouse tear the butterfly apart and then leave it as an owl flew across the sky overhead. The butterfly was helplessly flapping its white wings in the air all the while…

"Soujiro! Where are you Soujiro!"

"Areh? What do they want so late at night?" He shook Megumi's pink blanket off from his shoulders and hurried to the source of the calling voice.

What he met there was a small, furious mob, consisting of his family members. 

"Soujiro!" Ichiro's booming voice hailed. "You thought you could lie to me?!" Soujiro was then knocked over by Ichiro's sword, still in its sheath.

"You disobeyed a government in this day and age?!" Soujiro's drunken father exclaimed. "You want to destroy my business!?" 

"We won't let you get away with it!" They both yelled then attacked him, beating poor Soujiro with sword sheaths and garden shovels. "Spit it out! Where's the rebel?!"

Yanosuke and Kageiro smugly watched the interrogation.

Finally, Ichiro became too impatient just to beat the answer, which he didn't get, out of Soujiro, so he unsheathed his sword. He pointed the weapon at Soujiro, and there was bloodlust in his eyes. "I've had enough of this brat! I'll kill him for this!"

Kageiro decided that wasn't the wisest thing Ichiro could do. "Wait. Isn't this getting a little unpleasant?" Besides, spilling blood in front of a lady wasn't the most polite thing to do.

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry." Yanosuke reassured her. "After all, he was hiding a VERY bad man. This sort of thing is natural when one human being kills another. Just kill him Nii-san. The only place Soujiro would hide someone is in the rice warehouse. After this, all we have to do is call the police."

"Oh right!" We can tell the police that we found another victim of the rebel!" She clapped her hands together, a greedy grin spreading across her face. "We can even get a reward for helping out in the investigation!"

"This is how he repays us for all our trouble raising him? I won't let him destroy my business!" The father proclaimed once again.

"Go ahead." Yanosuke told his brother. "This is the time to show off your sword skills, like you said earlier."

"Yeah! I'll kill him!" Ichiro raised the weapon over his head for an overhand cut.

Soujiro had heard all of this. At the sight of the descending blade accompanied by a flash of lightning, he remembered the white butterfly, fluttering to death. _No. I don't want to die…I don't want to die!_

He quickly ran away, being pursued by Ichiro and his father. 

"The brat's getting away!" 

"Don't let him get away!" 

"Kill the swine!"

"TASUKETE! DAREKA… DAREKA… DAREKA TASUKETE! (Help me! Somebody…Anybody! Somebody help me!)" Soujiro's screams for help sounded even over the roar of thunder of the approaching storm.  

Glossary:

1) Ohagi – traditional Japanese autumnal treat. It's a riceball with bean jam.

2) Kageiro – made up name meaning Shadow Color

3) Ichiro – As I can't think of any names, all just use one that already exists! It means First Son.

4) Sake – Japanese rice wine

5) Nii-san – older brother

6) Tatami – those straw mats that Japanese people line the ground inside their house with.

Author's Notes: Ack! I can't believe I wrote what they did to Soujiro! T_T I'm sorry Sou-chan! I'll make Saitou or Megumi or Hiko or Kenshin or Sano or (fill in the blank) come punish them later!

I made Soujiro's adopted family seem a bit too nice to Megumi, didn't I? As much as I don't like them, they still are people, and they have to have some degree of civilized thinking to get them where they are socially. If they weren't all that polite to the police guy, they'll probably be bandits and not rice merchants. 

And the aged doctor…He's not supposed to be heartless. He's just rather old fashioned and has a somewhat false sense of life. He's supposed to be all "life is meaningless unless you can be REAL joyful." Quite an ecclesiastical person, he's also quite ironic, with his occupation as a doctor. And no, I don't agree with him. Soujiro, along with every person in the world is better off as a living person.

As another note, I didn't bother putting the translation for Soujiro's desperate plea for help in the glossary. It just seemed more efficient if I gave the translation right there and then. But then again, I'm not quite sure with the spelling of the Japanese. It would help if I had a dictionary with me, but I don't think my school library has an English-Japanese dictionary…

If you haven't noticed, this chapter bore almost no resemblance to John Steinback's Of Mice and Men. I just liked the title and changed Mice to Mummies—almost no resemblance, except for the mouse.

So I end chapter 2 with a cliffhanger! And you know I wouldn't be that mean to kill off Soujiro so early, right? It's kind of a false threat, because I haven't even got to any plot with Shishio and Kanryuu, and I can't have Sou-chan die before then. (Unless I have him come back as a ghost…)

Thank you for the reviews people! 

Twilight Sky: Adjectives are fun, aren't they? (Just when they aren't vocab words…)

Slight Imperfections: Umm…Where's Harford? I'm geographically inept! Gomen! Gomen!! Anyway…Go Sou/Meg! 

Eeevee: I didn't like that poem the week after I wrote it. But I stuck it in just because I felt like it. I couldn't find any Sou/Meg fics out there to prove that you really can pair up Soujiro with any female character in RK so I made one.

Lost complex:  Err…I'm not quite sure of their ages in the regular RK series so…-_-; Megumi's 12. Soujiro's 8.

Sticks: Thank you for saying that she's not that OOC, since she isn't foxy enough in the first chapter… 

And don't forget to review!


	3. Sessha wa Rurouni de Gozaru yo

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 3-Sessha wa Rurouni de Gozaru yo

_"He is better off in death…"_

That's what the aged doctor had told Megumi. He was older and wiser than she was—then why does this statement seem so wrong? Megumi pondered this in her head while tending to the two patients. The aged doctor had long retired to bed, leaving Megumi with the boring job of making sure the two patients rested enough. She was quite sure that the both of them were not able to move around too much to cause injury, thus she decided to go on a little stroll.

As she threw her dark blue haori (1) over her kimono and stepped into her sandals. Upon feeling the night wind, she shivered and smirked at herself. _Megumi, you must be insane, going for a walk in the middle of the night… Face it; _her sassy inner voice told her_, you really are worried about him._

Megumi scoffed at that voice. She was worried, but not that worried. It wasn't like there was any imminent danger. She had decided to go to the well by the western gate and the warehouse to wait for Soujiro when he decided to appear. She approached the well and found a pink blanket lying nearby. Megumi picked the fuzzy pink blanket, stuffing it into her abysmal sleeves for simple storage. As she was doing so, she heard fragmented conversation in the distance. Megumi was so incredibly interested that she couldn't help but listen.

"…kill him Nii-san…"

"…even get a reward…"

"…won't let him destroy my business…"

"…time to show off your sword…"

"…kill him…"

And then...a chilling scream for help as lightning and thunder clashed together.

Megumi's analytical mind quickly put the pieces together. Without further thinking, she rushed to the front of the house. But when she rounded the corner, she ran into Soujiro. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Soujiro did not see her, and raced away.

"Wait Sou-chan!" she called after him picking herself up from the ground. Looking up, she met the livid faces of Ichiro and the rice merchant.

"Megumi-chan! Are you all right?" Kageiro asked her, rearranging Megumi's hair.

Megumi looked stunned. "Fine."

"Where did that brat go?" wondered Ichiro out loud, not really caring if Megumi was with them or not. He walked around, accompanied by Yanosuke to look for Soujiro.

It was Yanosuke who noticed a faint footprint under the porch of the warehouse. Everyone gathered around him, certain that Soujiro was under the house.

Yanosuke bended down and attempted to crawl under the porch after Soujiro, but he was much too tall.

"I can go," Megumi said, volunteering herself, "I can fit under there." Then, she could tell Soujiro to escape a different way.

The others complied, and Megumi crawled under the porch. A few moments later, she spied Soujiro hiding among the building supports.

"Sou-chan. It's just me." She whispered when she noticed he was shying away from her. "They already know you're here."

"Megumi-san?"

She nodded, even though she was quite aware that Soujiro couldn't see her very well. "You can't go on hiding there forever. Sou-chan, you need to get away from them…"

"Megumi-chan!" they heard the rest of Soujiro's adopted family calling her. "Is he there?"

Megumi ignored them. She clasped Soujiro's hand in hers. Slowly and silently, they slipped to the edge of the opposite side of the porch. When they emerged from beneath the building, only Ichiro noticed them.

"Hey! There you are!" He lunged forward to grab Soujiro. Fortunately, Megumi had quickly tugged on Soujiro's arm, causing Ichiro to miss and fall flat on his face. "Why! How dare you meddle in our family problems, Megumi?"

"Sou-chan, run!" Megumi urged him, as she was half dragging him away from Ichiro's sword. Soujiro, by some unseen strength was able to pull himself together and run ahead of Megumi.

Ichiro and the rice merchant chased after the two, screaming that they deserve to die. When Soujiro and Megumi had escaped past the courtyard entrance, they decided to stop running after them. Instead, they shouted out threats.

"Don't you ever come back here!"

"And if we somehow find you alive, we'll kill you there!"

As for Soujiro and Megumi, it started to rain as they escaped the rice merchant's house. It poured down mercilessly, like some reminiscence of the rice merchant. They were simply too frightened to stop for shelter anywhere near the rice merchant, or where they would be easily found, so they ran on, the threats fresh on their minds.

They ran through the deserted streets of Kanagawa, streets that became muddier and muddier with each raindrop that fell to the ground. Eventually, Soujiro and Megumi reached the very edge of the town, where Megumi led Soujiro to the underside of a wooden bridge. There was a lower layer of that particular that was shielded from the storm's pounding rain. It was dry, so Megumi plopped down, exhausted, unaccustomed to running for any long period of time.

Even when she was trying to calm her own breathing, she happened to turn her attention to Soujiro, who seemed to be in worse condition that she was. "Sou-chan, you all right?"

Megumi mentally slapped herself for her stupidity_. You don't ask someone if they're fine or not if they really aren't!_ And Megumi knew that Soujiro was not all right. _That is, unless all right meant half dead, rain soaked and choking on your own blood._ Megumi frowned, trying not to panic. She hadn't really seen how badly Soujiro was beaten up, but if there was internal bleeding…

Megumi shook her head, forgetting about that. At this rate, he'll choke to death, not of hemorrhage, she thought as she tried to sooth him, by patting him on the back. Megumi knew she could easily force the liquid out by simply punching him in the chest, by that really must do more harm than good.

At this point, Soujiro's breathing became ever so shallow. Megumi knew she only had one option available to her that wouldn't really harm him.

"Sou-chan?"

Megumi barely heard a wispy "Areh?" from Soujiro before taking a deep breath. She leaned forward and their lips met…

The result of Megumi's attempted artificial respiration was a blush appearing on Megumi's face and Soujiro having a serious coughing fit.

When Soujiro had breathed enough air to resume talking, the first thing he said was: "Why did you do that?"

"You were choking. I'm not one to sit around and do nothing. You already know that." Megumi told him matter-of-factly. She would prefer not to look into it—Soujiro was just another on of her patients, right? _Then why are you blushing?_ The little voice in her heard asked her. "Anyhow, now I really need to patch you up." She reached for Soujiro, but he shied away from her.

"No. It isn't fair." Soujiro told her. After all that happened, she still cared for him? It just wasn't fair to Megumi… "Because of me, you can't go back to the house and the doctor you were with."

"Look. I don't really want to stay with the rice merchant and the doctor. I'm just there because I'm the doctor's apprentice. I really don't have to go wherever he goes. My life is my own. So don't feel so guilty about me being here. "

"But I feel like I'm burdening you too much."

Megumi conceded to argue with him, which was so atypical of her. Maybe she was just getting a little tired with all that's happened. "Fine, but you'll regret it in the morning." And then, she remembered something. "I believe I gave this to you" Megumi said, handing Soujiro the pink blanket. "You're soaked, and I want you to be alive to complain to me about those injures in the morning just so I can tell you 'I told you so.'" Megumi added astutely.

"I'm fine; you got wet in the rain too." Soujiro pointed out.

"Yes, but I have a haori on—that, and around three layers of kimono." Megumi shot back at him.

"Maybe you can have the blanket and I'll wear your haori?"

* * *

"This is the stupidest thing I've ever done." Megumi said to Soujiro. She had the pink blanket and Soujiro had Megumi's haori. They had been sitting under the bridge for an hour, being aware of every movement in the shadows, thinking that perhaps it was the homicidal rebel.

"Really?"

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't it be a whole lot more simple if you just took the blanket?"

She could hear Soujiro sigh in the darkness. "Is that all you're going to think about? What about where we're going to go?"

"I know you're cold." Megumi held out her arms to Soujiro for a hug. _I can also hear you coughing every so often, and I don't think it's blood that's doing that._

"Areh?" Soujiro was puzzled. _Exactly why would Megumi-san care so much to worry about me? It's not like I have any value…_

Megumi had been holding out her arms for a few minutes now. _It can't be that dark that visibility is at zero! I know it's the middle of the night with no moon, but this is ridiculous!_ Megumi's patience ran out, and she reached over and pulled Soujiro into her embrace. "Sou-chan no baka… Can't you take a hint and stop being so clueless? (2)" she muttered.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Soujiro didn't receive an answer. Megumi had fallen asleep.

* * *

Early in the morning, the red-haired swordsman was walking along the streets in order to avoid suspicious civilians. Most of the town was still asleep, as he noted two children huddled under a bridge. _Sometimes I find myself wondering why I bothered to kill to bring in a new era if the oppressed are still unhappy. But then, that's what happens when there's a war._

He noted that the bright dawn sky was now about as red as his hair. He guessed that people were probably going to come out on to the streets now that the sun was up._ I must get out of town before someone arrests me for carrying a—_

On cue, some overly zealous policeman comes running down the street out of nowhere. "You there! You're breaking the sword edict! You must be the escaped rebel that killed the fourth sword bearing police squad the day before!"

The red haired swordsman put on his most innocent looking face. With an excuse of "This unworthy one just got into town!" he tactically began to run away from the policeman.

The over-zealous policeman pursued the swordsman, blowing his whistle every few seconds. "YOU SHALL NOT GET AWAY FROM THE LAW!!!"

* * *

The shrill whistle of the policeman had awakened Megumi and Soujiro. To avoid confrontations with the rice merchant's family, they decided the wisest thing to do was to get themselves hopelessly lost in the city and hope that their pursuers had a better sense of direction than they did. After a while, Megumi found a deserted noodle stand and coaxed the vendor into giving both Soujiro and Megumi noodles from free. They were eating near the noodle vendor when Soujiro asked "What are we going to do now?"

Megumi thought a bit while slurping down noodles. "I guess we can rely on people's charity for now. It'll give us enough time to get somewhere to live permanently."

"Charity?" Soujiro echoed, "How can you expect people to be kind?"

"The war just ended. But there are still lots of war orphans and split-up families all across Japan. People are generally sympathetic to kids who've had hardships. So they'll help us." she slurped up more noodles. "Besides, we're both probably cute enough to charm the unwilling ones," She added, "just like noodle-man here."

Soujiro sighed; he still had to get used to the way Megumi flirted her way into getting what she wanted. "But, even if there are people willing to help, they'll eventually stop. So where would we go in the end?"

"Aizu."

"Areh?"

"The city of Aizu," she said, "that's where I'm from. I want to go back to the rest of my family there."

Soujiro looked at her with understanding. "You're alone too."

"Yeah, but someday—"

Megumi was cut off by someone violently pushing her backwards. She looked up to see who it was, and saw the rice merchant's two sons, Ichiro and Yanosuke. Ichiro was brandishing his sword in the most dangerous manner, and Yanosuke was holding on to Soujiro by his hair. The noodle vendor was nowhere to be seen; apparently he fled the moment the two brothers came.

"Will you just leave us alone?" Megumi yelled, seething in anger. "Can't you just go on with your merry lives?"

"He did say he was going to kill you." Yanosuke stated matter-of-factly, as if murder was just another thing on his to-do list.

"How can you explain killing two little kids on the street?"

"We'll say that you're both good-for-nothing street kids that prey on helpless citizens and we're promoting crime-free streets in Yokohama. But, it seems like we're wasting time exacting your death. Go, Nii-san; kill them."

Ichiro laughed manically, and swung his sword around, barely missing the edge of Megumi's kimono.

"RUN MEGUMI-SAN! JUST LEAVE ME HERE!"

Megumi hesitated; to leave would mean death to Soujiro. But then if she could…

"Hey! The little witch is getting away!" Ichiro remarked as Megumi sped off down the street.

Yanosuke clapped a hand to his brother's shoulder. "It doesn't matter. One bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. We still have Soujiro."

* * *

Megumi raced along the roads, trying to find people that were able to help. At last, she heard a police whistle grow louder and louder, coming towards her.

"Ah! Help me! I'm in big trouble! A bunch of evil men are trying to—"

She did not get very far into her request, for she collided into a red-haired man running in the opposite direction. Megumi stood up almost immediately, and then noticed what the man carried.

"Oro?"

"You have to help me! Some people just came and started beating up my friend!" Megumi blurted out in a panicked voice.

"What can this unworthy one do?" the red haired man said. Suddenly, a police whistle caught them both off guard, as the policeman had snuck up on both of them. "Never mind! I'll go do what you want!" he picked up Megumi by the bow on her back and began running forward. "Now where is your friend?"

Megumi told him, and the red-haired swordsman went, with the over-zealous policeman in hot pursuit.

"There!" Megumi indicated to the alleyway where the noodle stand was, pointing with her index finger. "SOU-CHAN!"

Indeed Soujiro looked worse than he did last night, if it was at all possible. Ichiro's sword had been used significantly, though he wasn't dead. Worse, Megumi noted, Soujiro was still smiling it off.

The two brothers didn't notice Megumi and her companion's approach. They didn't seem to care either. Anyway, the two were still being their sadistic selves.

"We should really drag him off to the house and kill him there. No one will find out that we did it."

"But my sword still wants blood…" Ichiro said. He aimed the sword at Soujiro, but somehow his sword wasn't in his hands anymore. "What the—" He looked up to see the red-haired swords man holding the sword. "Give it back!"

The shorter man threw it back to him. "This unworthy one has no desire to hold bloody weapons. But, this unworthy one cannot allow you to harm others with the weapons that you possess."

"He's boasting." Yanosuke assured his brother. "Just look at him. His height, his stupid truth, this is just another kid who is too full of himself. Look, he won't even draw him sword!"

"That's because this sword isn't for killing. This unworthy one uses this to protect the weak, who are oppressed." The man bent down in a position to draw his sword.

"The weak…" Ichiro smirked. "try to protect yourself!" He swiped his sword down.

Too late did he notice that the other man did not stand where he was anymore. Only a blur of red was visible to him.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu—Ryuu Kan Sen Tsumuji!"

In an impressive feat of swordplay, the red haired swordsman had cut down Ichiro with one hit.

"He's strong…" Yanosuke concluded, terrified.

"Who is he?" Megumi asked, tending to Soujiro.

"Kenshin…" the red haired swordsman said. "Sessha wa rurouni de gozaru yo!"

* * *

Glossary

1. Haori – a Japanese style jacket

2. Sou-chan no baka – Soujiro you idiot

Author's notes: If anyone doesn't know, the title means: "This unworthy one is a wanderer."

The bridge is similar to that in which Megumi and Kaoru sat on at the end of the Kyoto arc. It has a top layer where people walk on, and a bottom layer right above the water where people sat around.

Erm…I had Megumi "sort of" kiss Soujiro in this chapter. Yup, Megumi was attempting to do artificial respiration on Soujiro. Let's see Megumi didn't really have many other choices, or did she? I already mentioned the part in CPR where you get the water out by pressing down on a person's chest. And like Megumi said, she'll probably end up hurting Soujiro more that helping him. (He was already half dead from the last chapter…) And also I don't believe the Heimlich maneuver has been invented. I don't even think the guy who invented it was born yet…But I did take this idea from Slayers Next (the episode with the lake dragon) and that turned out quite humorously. Anyway, this is a romance fanfic, so go figure—Although I really need to make them both older. (Like 10 years…)

Finally, Kenshin makes it into the main plotline! That's good, but now what are they going to do, with the Meiji law forbidding swords? But with the rurouni, the future is looking substantially brighter for our protagonists! (Although you have to wonder, is anyone at Aizu waiting for Megumi?)

My dear reviewers! Thank you so much for your reviews!

Twilight Sky: And this is what happens to Soujiro! Does Megumi dragging him out of the rice place count as saving him?

Lord Cirenmas: I hope I write more soon too.

Seaoknarnar: Yay! You made it through the first two chapters without getting hopelessly confused! Or at least I hope you didn't. I know that being cruel to characters is necessary for a plot, but I don't want the characters to be all unhappy! (I like happy endings. Happy endings are good…unless they are totally unreasonable.)


	4. Incidents Involving Over Zealous Policem...

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 4-Incidents Involving Over Zealous Policemen

The over zealous policeman caught up to the rurouni, panting heavily as he held up a pair of handcuffs. "You're all under arrest for disturbing the peace!"

"Oro!"

Megumi gaped at him. "But we didn't do anything!" she protested.

"Maybe if we listen to him, he'll let us off?" Kenshin suggested. Yanosuke and Megumi glared at him.

* * *

A young woman was walking along the outskirts of Yokohama. No one knew why she was out so early, as only the docks were bustling with activity at this time. They knew she was not a serf—the old feudal systems were gone—and her fair complexion did not mark her as a rustic peasant.

Yet she stopped at a small rice paddy to pluck diseased leaves from the plant. The muddy waters at the paddy were no nuisance to her, for she wore no sandals or socks. She simply ties up her gaudy maroon kimono up where the waters would not reach them. And as she toiled, wavy, dark claret hair escaped the confines of two blue dragonfly hair-sticks and cascaded down her back.

She did not hear the group of bandits sneaking up behind her. Only when she heard the tale-tell splashes of the muddy water did she realize she wasn't alone.

The group of bandits was poorly armed, as they did not see a great danger in the field girl. The leader, or rather, the biggest and most egocentric one seemed to know her.

"Yumi-chan, you seem to be in a bit of trouble. Why don't you come with us rather than work in that stinking mud pit for the landlady…"

She didn't need to hear anymore; she took off, sloshing through the murky waters of the inundated rice paddy.

* * *

"It was just an idea." Kenshin tried to defend himself as the group sat in a row of western chairs in the office of the police chief. He sat in the middle of the row, Soujiro and Megumi to his right, and Yanosuke on his left. Ichiro was firmly tied to his chair left of his brother, as he refused to stop sputtering out insults and threats to the rest of the police.

"It was extremely stupid." Yanosuke muttered. "I can't be arrested for getting rid of some brat that no one cares about."

"I agreed to it!" Megumi yelled from the other side of Kenshin. "Besides, who are you calling a 'brat'?"

"Not you." Yanosuke replied in an infuriating calm. "You're just some sly little girl who lures people in with your charm and then destroys them. You're a kitsune. (1)"

"Who are you calling 'kitsune'?!"

The rising decibels of their heated argument stopped as the police chief entered the room. Dressed in western attire with an oddly colored green coat, his eyes widened when he saw who was in the room.

"Himura-kun?"

Kenshin turned in his seat and recognized who it was. "Hello, Houji-san."

Megumi and Soujiro looked at Kenshin. How did Kenshin know the police chief? "How come you know each other?"

"It seems that no one in here in Yokohama seems to know who you really are Himura-kun." Houji dispassionately said to him. "But it doesn't matter. I would need to know what happened today at approximately seven o'clock in the morning."

"No problem," Yanosuke said. "My brother, who is currently expressing his anger at being wrongfully arrested, and I were simply going on a morning stroll when these two kids attacked us for absolutely no reason."

"Hey! That's not true, you filthy, lying—" Kenshin clapped a hand over Megumi's mouth.

"Like I was saying," he continued, "we were attacked, and then I noticed that they were the pair of kids that were seen around our house earlier this week. When my sister found out that some bandages were missing from the house, we realized that they had taken them. We went to confront them, and they both admitted that they were hiding the rebel from the war. So, we realized who they were, and Ichiro was trying to get them to admit where they were hiding him. The girl got scared and enlisted the help of some hobo who promptly injured my brother for no reason. This is injustice! I demand that you free us and kill the others!"

"Is this true?" Houji asked Megumi and Soujiro.

Megumi shook her head violently. "Absolutely not! He was lying about all of it!"

"So what really happened?"

"We were eating noodles at the noodle stand when they attacked us. That person's brother started to beat up Sou-chan, so I ran to get help. Then Ken-san came and saved us." Megumi stated confidently. "And we weren't hiding the rebel."

"How can you explain the missing bandages, then?" Yanosuke questioned her.

"Because Yoshimaru-sensei told me to use them for that injured policeman we were treating at your house!"

"You have plenty of medical supplies with you. You didn't need ours. That just explains how you were helping the rebel!"

"No, it doesn't! You're just using the whole rebel affair to get the police on your side!"

"Thus, you did hide him."

"I did not!"

"Maa maa, (2) we're getting off topic." Kenshin tried to stop the bickering between Megumi and Yanosuke.

"Yeah, screaming at each other doesn't help me." Houji said. "Hey, kid. Why are you smiling at me? Do you know why they attacked you?"

"Uh…" Soujiro clenched his hands. "They said they would kill me the next time they saw us. So they did…or tried to."

"Why's that?"

Ichiro's anger flared up suddenly. "Because he's a little bastard that always gets in society's way. Even when we took him in to save face in public he'll always be so useless! I can't stand the fact that's he's still alive…"

"Nii-san!" Yanosuke was shocked. Ichiro had just blown off their cover.

"People tell the truth when they are passionately angry, Houji-san." Kenshin advised him.

"Right. Do you have anything to say for yourselves? I'm locking you two up; Ichiro for assaulting children and you for lying to cover it up. Everyone else can just walk away unscathed."

He left, leaving the lower ranked policeman to drag Yanosuke and Ichiro to jail. The same overzealous policeman who arrested the group came up to him.

"You aren't going to charge the swordsman for the sword?"

"No, you can't just tear a sword away from a Hitokiri. It's the way they live, by the sword. Mere laws can't stop them. It'll be the same as stripping a bird of its feathers."

"My wife does that when she prepares meals. But you did jail some people, didn't you?"

"Of course." Houji walked out of the building and climbed into an awaiting carriage. "I am loyal to the police department, after all. But I'm also loyal to those who saved me during the war."

* * *

Yumi ran deeper into the countryside, past the rice paddies and desolate farmhouses. Her lungs burned with every breath she took. She did not consider herself to have any talent in athletics; most people only expected her to sit around and look pretty. Unfortunately, those two things didn't help her in fleeing the bandits, who were gradually closing in around her.

Panicking, she failed to notice an un-fortuitously placed root sticking out in the middle of the road. She tripped, and fell to the ground, shrieking in surprise and pain.

"I'll give you credit for running that much until we caught you." The bandit leader said. "We just need to bring you back to Chou-sama's lair, and then he decides what happens to you. Be a good girl and come with us now." He said as politely as a bandit possibly could.

"Can't…walk…now…" Yumi panted, trying to breathe in desperately needed oxygen.

"Pity, I'm not that nice. I'll just have to drag you there. Hiro! Koushi!" the bandit leader commanded them to drag off Yumi. He was surprised when the two didn't answer back. "Stupid insubordinates…"he muttered.

"Leave the lady." A voice said behind the bandit leader. He turned around and began to sweat profusely.

"The rebel…" he scrambled to get away, but crashed into the person standing next to him. The bandit leader and his fellow thugs were immediately cut down by the rebel's sword.

As he began to clean off his sword with a piece of the bandit leader's clothing, he glanced at Yumi. "You've already forgotten who I am, right, Yumi?"

"Who?" she looked at him in shock.

"Maybe all these bandages hinder your perception. Anyway, I must lie low now. I do love you; but say anything, and I'll make it my personal mission to kill you."

The rebel left, leaving Yumi alone in the middle of pile of corpses.

A few minutes later, yet another over zealous policeman happened to come across her. Without so much as a second thought, he handcuffed her and charged her with manslaughter.

* * *

"Houji-san! Houji-san!" A police officer in a pristine brown uniform called out to him from beside the carriage.

"What is it?" Houji demanded, sticking his head out of the carriage window. If he couldn't have peace and quiet in his office, he could at least have it in his carriage, but no…

"There's been another massacre of civilians. This time we found the culprit. At least, that's what squad four reports. They're on their way to the police station now." The officer reported in a rehearsed manner.

"Very well. Why can't you solve these problems on your own?" he exasperatedly said, then ordered the horseman to turn them around.

* * *

Megumi watched the policemen take the two brothers away to the jail cell. "Serves them right." She muttered.

"That's not very nice." Kenshin chided her, shaking his head.

"Well it's true. If I was intentionally hurting people, I'll kill myself first!" she stated without a second thought in her head. "Oh, thank you for before! I don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up."

"It was nothing. All this unworthy one wanted to is to protect the oppressed people." Kenshin said, dusting of any praise that Megumi had just bestowed upon him. "This unworthy one wanders the world to repent for the sins this unworthy one has committed in the past."

"Himura-san…" Soujiro started to say "…is that your last name? The policeman called you that didn't he?"

"Yeah, you only said your name was 'Kenshin.' How come you didn't tell us your full name? Are you running from the law?" It was until after Megumi had spoke this did she notice her mistake.

"This unworthy one is Himura Kenshin. But, if this unworthy one was running from the law, this unworthy one wouldn't have gone so eagerly to a police station, right? On the other hand, you haven't given your names either."

"Seta Soujiro."

"Takani Megumi."

"Takani?" Kenshin's eyes snapped open. "Isn't the Takani clan a great group of doctors in Aizu?"

"Yup! Our goal is to help people overcome disease and sickness no matter what social class they are from." Megumi announced proudly. "But, I don't know where my parents are, so I'm traveling around helping people. I'll eventually get to Aizu and see them again."

Kenshin nodded with understanding. "Ah, the fourth main battle of the Boshin war took place there, didn't it?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure which one it was, but if you say so—"

"I tell you I'm innocent! I didn't kill those people! Even though I really wanted to, I can't!" a woman's loud scream preceded her entrance into the room. A moment later, a group of policemen were dragging her into the room.

"Oro."

The next moment, Houji entered the room.

"Areh."

"They really can't solve these problems on their own."

Yumi had plopped down on a seat next to Kenshin, glaring at the policemen as they held up a rope to bind her to the chair. "I'm not that violent." The policemen backed down and Yumi turned her attention to Houji. "I didn't kill them. Does it look like I killed them?"

There was not a speck of blood on her, and she obviously possessed no weapon. "No."

"So let me go on my merry way."

"I cannot allow that." He said simply.

"What?" Yumi's temper rose again. She was more hot-headed than Megumi would ever be.

"You need to identify the culprit."

Yumi quieted down. "I don't know him."

"Of course you don't. The majority of witnesses have no clue as to what they witness. What does he look like?"

Yumi remembered what he had told her. She decided lying was her best choice. "Tall and mysterious-looking. He has two swords with him and he was wearing a red shirt. Happy?"

Houji glanced at her incredulously.

"Give it a chance." Kenshin said. "You can't really find out the truth by your policemen anyway."

Kenshin's advice seemed to change Houji's mind. "Fine. I'll follow your lead, but if what you said is wrong, I am throwing you in jail."

"Fine." It wasn't like she had much of anything to live for anyway. She got up and headed towards the door.

"Are you just going to sit here forever, Himura-kun?" Houji asked.

"No. But this unworthy one doesn't know what to do with these children. This unworthy one is a rurouni." Kenshin pointed out the obvious fact. "Do you think this unworthy one should take them with this unworthy one?"

"Whatever you do, I don't care. Just don't break the law."

"You can come with me, if you want." Yumi offered while halfway out the door.

"No need to thank this unworthy one for pulling you out of that situation." Kenshin said humbly.

"Who said I needed your help?" Yumi glared at him. "I just don't want little kids roaming around on the streets. But anyway, follow me." She led them out of the police station.

"How did you manage to change the policeman's mind anyway?" she asked Kenshin.

Kenshin shrugged. "This unworthy one doesn't really know. Maybe it has to something with the time this unworthy one protected him during the war."

"So you used to be a professional guard, huh? Oh well, then you can do something when we get there."

"Oro?"

"For some influential person, you're an idiot." Yumi sighed, rubbing her temples. "What's your name? No, I already know your name is Himura. I meant them."

"I'm Megumi, and this is Soujiro." Megumi was slightly annoyed by the fact that Yumi treated them like little kids. She guessed that the older girl was only two to four years older.

"Right. We're here." She stopped at a rather long house at the edge of town. She didn't enter right away. "By the way, I'm Yumi. You can call me Yumi-nee-chan!" she told Soujiro and Megumi.

"Areh? Why would I call you that? Don't you want to be called Yumi-san or something like that?" Soujiro never met someone who actually insisted on him calling her older sister.

"I always wanted to have younger siblings."

"Oh." That made sense.

"Well, I hope the landlady likes you. Yeah, she probably would. Kirashi-san loves children."

End Chapter Four

* * *

Glossary-

1. Kitsune- a fox spirit that can take on the form of people.

2. Maa maa- Kenshin's way of saying 'there, there' or 'calm down.'

Author's notes: Yeah, I know what you are all thinking. "What could have made you so insane as to add Houji and Yumi into this?" The simple thing to say would be the stress of getting an A in History, Chemistry, English, and Gym class. I detest gym class (playing volleyball is fine, but running is not). On a more reasonable note, yet still lazy reason, I don't feel like writing out the whole Kyoto arc and I need some plot between the 10 year gap between the first part of the fanfic and the Kanryuu incident. Thus, I am sticking in Shishio into the gap. And if I stick in Shishio here, I would have to do something with the nine remaining Jupongatana members. Therefore, I am writing them in now.

Houji, in my mind, doesn't hate the Meiji government. I think he only hated them in the end because they wanted him to shut up about Shishio. So I made his incredibly loyal to the police and Kenshin, like he was with Shishio. If you ask me, anyone who stabs himself in the hand isn't loyal, just incredibly insane. This Houji is incredibly like Saitou, but I don't really like him…

And Yumi… I know that she is a prostitute, but lets just all pretend that the Meiji government did away with that already. So yeah, Yumi is considered an outcast of society, so that is why she's not living the glorious life a person can have…

And fanfiction.net has some wierd thingy that doesn't let me put down stars for scene changes. So now, the horizontal lines have to work.

And again, thank you for all the reviews that motivate me to write more!

Lord Cirenmas: Thank you, I just hope I don't mess up the rest of this fanfic by making it longer.

Twilight Sky: I will add more action to this fanfic, maybe mini story arcs or something. I generally dislike rewriting a character's past, because it changes who they are. But in Soujiro's case, his personality pretty much stays the same, so I don't mind it so much.

EEevee: I actually find over zealous policemen to be funny! (Although others might think otherwise.) Wouldn't running in Megumi's shoes be like running in flip flops? In that case, it would probably be the kimono that would be the problem. But then, Watsuki had Megumi run away pretty quickly when Kanryuu's men were chasing her.

Abby: Urk. Poor Kenshin…is he a vegetarian? Because then he wouldn't be fishing or something…

Fallen: I sort of wanted to kill them off too, but then, that isn't the most pleasant thought in the world. Having two sons in jail is bad enough for their reputation, isn't it? And Soujiro will be happy…in the end, that is. Urk…I'm getting too sadistic…;


	5. Sword Hunter

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 5-Sword Hunter

"Tadaima! (1) Kirashi-san, you need to come meet someone!" Yumi exclaimed loudly to no one in particular as she opened the door.

The building was quite ancient, with a sundry of vines twisting along the buttresses. However, the room on the other side was surprisingly simple and spacious, even though the actual building seemed like it was going to fall apart. Thick straw colored tatami mats lined the floor, and a few violet wildflowers graced the sturdy, lacquered table. There was no one inside.

"Kirashi-san?"

"Yeah?" A voice behind them spoke, shocking everyone besides Kenshin. "Who are they? Your friends, right, Yumi-chan?"

"Right."

Everyone turned around to see who it was. The person was a young and average looking woman. She had a few stray strands of ebony colored hair falling across her face, while the rest was tied back and secured with a wooden comb. "My name is Tachikawa Kirashi. You are…?"

"I'm Megumi, he's Soujiro," she said, pointing to Soujiro, "and he's Kenshin!" she pointed her finger in Kenshin's direction.

"It's a pleasure to meet you…you have a sword?"

Kenshin blinked. "Oh this?" he said, indicating the sword by his side, "Don't worry, this unworthy one swore not to kill anybody. Yumi-dono said something about how this unworthy one would be of help here."

"Eh?" Kirashi looked at him blankly. She was most probably wondering how a hobo like the red haired man standing before her can possibly be of any assistance at all. She looked toward Yumi for any clue as to what she had in mind.

"Apparently, he protected the police chief, Sadojima Houji during the war. He trusts him, so I was thinking if they could stay to protect 'it'." Yumi told Kirashi, confusing everyone else. What exactly was "it"?

Kirashi closed her eyes and thought for a moment before opening them again. She broke into a sincere smile. "Sure, you can stay. But you have to help Yumi and me with the housework. I'll tell you guys about 'it' later—Oh dear! What happened to you?"

There was a general feeling of confusion in the group until Soujiro realized that Kirashi was staring at him. Or, more precisely, was staring at the blood seeping though Megumi's bandages. "You see, there was a bit of trouble getting here. But I'm perfectly fine."

Kirashi sighed. "You would think…" She pushed Soujiro into the room and went inside before sticking her head back out of the door. "Yumi-san, can you make lunch?"

"Um…sure…"

Kirashi had already left before Yumi's answer, leaving the three stunned. Yumi glanced at Kenshin and Megumi. "Are you going to help me or stand there all day?"

"We'll help." Megumi and Kenshin said simultaneously.

* * *

A tall mysterious man wearing a red shirt paced impatiently around the room. He had sent them out and hour or two ago, what can take them so long? Idiots, all of them. He walked towards a sword rack and took a sword from the top. "Hey, Kuto!"

"What is it? Chou-sama?" Kuto replied, appearing immediately at the doorway. Perhaps it was because Chou was looking more irritated than usual, and Kuto didn't like the homicidal look in Chou's eye while he was handling the blade.

"The group that I sent out earlier, why aren't they back?"

"They're all dead, Chou-sama…massacred."

"By Yumi?" he skeptically raised his eyebrow. _Street bandits these days are so useless, but I never imagined them to be that pathetic._

"No. It was probably someone else." He said, sweating profusely. "I can get another group together if you want…"

"Good. I don't know who would want to protect her, but if they're in the way, kill them. Take your group under the cover of darkness." Chou tossed him the sword.

Kuto caught the sharp blade, hissed with pain, and dropped the sword on the ground. Chou looked at him with an almost pitying expression. "Somehow, the swords will be mine."

* * *

"Yumi-nee-chan, is Kirashi-san related to you?" Megumi asked out of the blue, trying to stir up conversation. She knew Yumi had called Kirashi her landlady, but they looked incredibly similar.

"No, she's not. But Kirashi-san is very reasonable. Just as long as you don't pose any kind of threat, she'll let you live on her property." Yumi answered thoughtfully. _Kirashi-san doesn't care who you are, and that's what makes her so avuncular and kind. Even if it is some sinner like me…_

"Why is it Kirashi-san's property? Did she inherit it or something?" Megumi asked, puzzled. There weren't many female proprietors in Japan, even if it was a new era.

"No, it actually belongs to her husband. But Kirashi-san manages almost all of it, she basically runs the place. She's really self-sufficient. Her husband is almost a liability. You'll meet him later. Although, frankly, I don't know what Kirashi-san ever sees in him."

"What's his name?"

"Kariwa Henya." Yumi answered, "The strangest person you can possibly meet…"

* * *

Kirashi was leading Soujiro down a deserted hallway in the middle of the building. Even though the actual house appeared to be quite small, the corridor was in reality very spacious. It was dank and smelled fresh, like the air after a rainstorm, rather than musty, even though it seemed like no one had been there for ages.

She opened a door at the end of the corridor, revealing a large storage area. She then walked to a large wooded trunk and promptly pulled open its dusty lid. Inside were folded masses of clothes of all kinds. Rummaging though the trunk's contents, Kirashi pulled out a gi (2) and hakama (3) and tossed them to Soujiro.

"Areh?"

"Here, keep those. I think they'll fit you. I think the clothes you're wearing now are bloody beyond any hope of getting clean again." She told him. "Oh wait!" Kirashi exclaimed as she pulled something else out. "I forgot this was here!"

Soujiro just stared at her.

"Let's get out of here. This place is kind of creepy." Kirashi said, slamming the lid down, dust particles falling everywhere. "I'll show you where you can stay. Follow me."

* * *

"Oh, Himura's back from fishing."

And indeed he was. Yumi and Megumi had kicked him out of the kitchen on the excuse that men couldn't cook, and sent him out to fish at a nearby stream. Kenshin was saturated from head to toe with stream water. Droplets were falling from his clothes to the ground, and a dark trail of water followed him from the streambed to the door of the kitchen.

"You're such a klutz…"

"Did you catch any fish?" Megumi asked, hoping that if Kenshin got that wet, he could have caught at least something.

"Yup, this unworthy one did!" Kenshin looked overly pleased with himself as he held up a straw basket full of skinny, squirming fish.

Yumi took one look at the fish and wrinkled her nose. "Are those fish or worms bloated with water?"

Megumi rolled her eyes as she dumped the entire contents of the basket into a steaming pot.

* * *

The collar of the western shirt was extremely irritating, Soujiro found out after Kirashi persuaded him to wear the clothes she gave him. But still, it made her happy, so he decided to put up with it.

"You don't have to wear it if it bothers you."

"Areh?"

"The western shirt. I'm not blind, you know. I can perfectly tell that you're tugging on the collar every few minutes." Kirashi said, exasperated.

Soujiro shook his head. _I'm supposed to be grateful._ "I'll get used to it." He assured her politely.

"Don't worry; I won't be offended."

"I'm okay! There're worse things in the world than itchy collars."

"Eh? Does it have to do with all those injuries you have?" Kirashi never quite understood why Soujiro looked like he was half-dead when he arrived. She had just figured that he fell out of a tree and into some thorny bush underneath. "You didn't fall into a prickly plant, did you?"

"Um, no. Why would you think that?" It never occurred once to Soujiro that if people saw him back then, they assumed he fell into a thorny botanical object. And he just thought they didn't care...

"There must be some gang in town that threatens little children!" Kirashi was quite sure of her prediction. "Tell me who they are, Soujiro-kun. I'll make sure the police are informed." She was looking so fiercely into Soujiro's eyes that he couldn't find a way to evade her questions.

"You know the house that belongs to the Seta rice distributing company?"

"Yes. Is that their hide-out or something?"

"They live there. The rice merchant and his family…my family…they tried to kill me…"

"Oh…" Kirashi was silent after that.

Sensing Kirashi's uneasiness, he tried to assuage her. "But it's okay. It's unfair, but that's the way life is. I can't help it, but I don't mind it as much as you probably think."

"Kirashi-san! Sou-chan!" Megumi called in a cheerful voice from another room. "Yumi-nee-chan finished cooking!"

"Well, off you go to lunch. Just try to follow Megumi-chan's voice. I need to go get my husband…" Kirashi left him, walking outside in her stocking feet, to some shack unattached to the main building.

* * *

Lunch was over and done with without any particular awkward moments. That is, not counting caviling over whether the fish Kenshin caught were actually fish or bloated worms. For safety's sake, no one touched them.

Kirashi's husband was, as Yumi had so eloquently described to Megumi, strange. He seemed to be a decent person, but was abnormally gaunt and cold despite what was going on around him.

"Now about _it_…I hope you aren't going to betray us to the government, Ken-san, but _it_ is a set of swords." Kirashi said, while absentmindedly fingering a tatami mat. As she finished speaking, she flipped the mat up, revealing a large box underneath. She promptly flipped open the lid. Inside were two sets of katana (4) and wakizashi (5).

"Oro…" Those were expensive swords…decorated beautifully, they were probably heirlooms.

"Koketsu…a collection of swords of the Kariwa bloodline. For some reason, every bandit in town seems to want to get a hold of it. Normally, my husband and I would give it to them to save the trouble, but my husband seems to have a thing with pride."

"Him? I thought he didn't care about things like that, after letting you run the house…" Yumi exclaimed.

"Yeah, he admits being incompetent with the regular jobs and being a swordsman, so he's taken to trying to invent a flying machine. But he wanted to keep the sword collection away from thieves in order to keep his pride as a descendent of a powerful samurai line."

"You were too?" Megumi asked her, perplexed. She never guessed that they were like that, after the quaint, simple atmosphere she felt inside their home.

"Yes, but in this new era, your social class isn't enough to save or slay you. That's why this place is the way it is today. We had to change it in order to prosper economically. To live the other way would be too anachronistic." Kirashi explained. "Are you willing to help us, even now?" she asked Kenshin.

"If those thieves pose a threat to your happiness, then this unworthy one would have to stop them. Even so, I will not kill anyone. But don't worry Kirashi-dono. I don't need to kill to protect those around me."

"That's a relief…I wouldn't know what to do if there were a dozen bloody corpses stacked up in my front door. Thank you…"

* * *

Soujiro could tell from her even breathing that Megumi was asleep. Everyone was, as far was he could tell, as it was all silent save for the occasional buzzing of a lone cicada. Normally, Soujiro would have just passed out from exhaustion, but for some obvious reason, he didn't feel like he was going to slip into unconsciousness anytime soon. Bored, he got up and went outside for a walk.

He was crossing the threshold of the exterior door when he heard a voice behind him speak. He immediately stiffened.

"The night is too peaceful, is it not?"

Soujiro turned around, and upon the sight of Kenshin, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just you, Himura-san."

"Aa. This unworthy one has to protect the koketsu for Kirashi-dono." Kenshin said glancing at the room where the sword rack was. "Are you going for a walk?" Soujiro nodded, noting that Kenshin found nothing abnormal with taking a stroll in midnight. "This unworthy one will go too."

And so, they strolled into the forest at the edge of the property. Overhead, autumn leaves swayed on the branches before falling to the ground. Footsteps, though it seemed like more that two pairs, plodding along the grassy undergrowth.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Soujiro said to himself. "How a day can pass and everything is different."

"Oro?"

"Oh, thank you for protecting Megumi-san earlier today. But if you're not there…Can you teach me to fight like you do?"

"No; not like that."

Kenshin's abrupt answer surprised him. There wasn't anything wrong with it, right? "Why not?"

Kenshin didn't speak as he took the sheath off of his sword. The bright metal shone blue in the moonlight. He handed the sword to Soujiro. "Take a good look at this sword, Soujiro."

"Areh?" As far as he could tell, there was nothing different with it. Kenshin's sword looked like any other sword he had seen: metallic, slender, sharp…no, Kenshin's sword wasn't sharp; the longer side was quite blunt. "Why is the curved edge dull?"

"The cutting edge and the dull edge are reversed. That's what's special about this sword. A sakabatou: reversed edge sword." Kenshin explained, re-sheathing the sword.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Soujiro asked, perplexed.

"Did you wonder why that guy earlier—whatever his name was—didn't die when I slashed him?"

"Because the blade is dull…obviously…So he would have died if it wasn't for your sword?" Yes, that made sense; even though Soujiro initially thought Ichiro wasn't dead because Kenshin never took off the sheath.

"That's partly right. But a blunt edge isn't enough, this unworthy one had to hold back as well. Despite what other people might think, it is not possible for a person to be alright if an object, even a blunt one, slams into him at a very high speed. Even if the blade is reversed, it just prevents lacerations. There's no guarantee that the other person would be fine."

Soujiro looked at Kenshin with a discomfited smile on his face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Did you really want him to die? This unworthy one won't be angry at you if you said 'yes'"

"No. It's not his fault."

"But if he really wanted to kill you, you would fight back, no?" Kenshin asked, dumbfounded by Soujiro's previous answer.

"Maybe…I guess. But there's no point since both of them are so much stronger than I am."

"But if this unworthy one teaches you, you'll become stronger, right?" Kenshin waited for Soujiro to nod his head before continuing. "You'll get to the point where you can defeat the both of them."

"But I won't kill; I only need to protect Megumi-san!"

"Killing…it's such a simple thing to do. Too simple. You don't know what it feels like to take another person's life. I don't want you to experience that…that's why…"

"Oh. Himura-san—" Soujiro's speech was cut off as Kenshin abruptly clapped a hand over his mouth. "Mmph!"

"Shush, Soujiro. Do you hear anything?"

* * *

Kuto and his group, about half a dozen in number, prowled through the forest like a pack of hyenas. The group consisted of ordinary bandits Kuto had found outside a busy restaurant with varying degrees of grumpiness. Apparently the restaurant owner didn't tolerate freeloaders. Even so, the six men were more than what he needed to steal the prized sword collection for Chou the sword-hunter.

They were near the edge of the woods now, and there was a vast stretch of rice paddies between the forest and the house. If they made it to the inside of the house without anyone noticing them, they would be able to ransack the entire building for the Koketsu without and outside witnesses. Even so, Kuto felt they were being watched.

The peace of the night was shattered with nothing more than a single splash of the water.

* * *

Glossary:

1. Tadaima—I am home.

2. Gi—the shirt (traditional)

3. Hakama—the pants (traditional)

4. Katana—the long Japanese sword. Otherwise known as nihontou

5. Wakizashi—the short Japanese sword.

Author's Notes: Stupid final exams... I have no time to write... especially since I'm actually supposed to do my history essay now.

Kirashi is a character of my own strange imagination! I think I'm going to put a character named Kirashi in every multi-chapter fanfic I write. She is quite the non-conformist woman in the era of Rurouni Kenshin. Basically, she runs the house (Kaoru does too, but she isn't married.) I will make her play a vital role in this fanfic, so she's not just there because I feel like sticking in a Kirashi into the fic. (Well, sort of.) And I made her married to Henya?! Oh, dear…What was I thinking…? The swords Kirashi possesses are the Koketsu. I made them the set of swords from which the Nagasone Koketsu came from. (Nagasone Koketsu is the sword Soujiro used to slice Kenshin's Sakabatou in half, remember?)

Soujiro didn't have all that many lines in the last chapter, so he's saying more in this one. Yeah, otherwise Soujiro would seem like Aoshi…

And so, Chou is after more swords…how predictable. 'Tis the beginning of the second part of my fanfic. "Sword Hunt."

And remember the three R's! Review, review, and review! (Okay, that was lame…)

Lord Cirenmas: Er…not much I can say in response to "good story," but thanks for reviewing!

Fallen: I need to start killing off more people; it inevitably makes this fanfic more tragic. (And Rurouni Kenshin revolves around killing one way or another.)

Kyone: Thank you Kyone-san! I think I like writing unusual pairings, it's different. What shall I write after this?

Twilight Sky: Thank you for reviewing again! It would be strange if Houji was against Yumi, but in this fanfic, they aren't united with Shishio. Remember that part in the anime when Houji complains that Yumi is so useless because she couldn't see Kenshin's succession technique? (Speaking of which I have to include that technique in here somewhere…)

Seaoknarnar: Isn't hobo such a funny word? It sounds so cute, like some kind of fluffy animal…And unfortunately, with this being a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic, I can't get around the fight scenes. So you'll just have to put up with mediocre fight scenes was I try to write better.


	6. Fight and Flight

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 6-Fight and Flight

Kuto turned around and clubbed the bandit over the head with a gigantic spatula. "You idiot!" he hissed, "We're supposed to be sneaking in!"

"So you are the ones who have been causing Kirashi-dono all these problems." Kenshin said in a darkly Battousai-ish voice after quietly creeping up behind the group.

Kuto spun around, and at the sight of Kenshin, breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just some random guy and a kid, nothing to worry about." He muttered under his breath. "Look, forget that you ever saw this incident and we'll leave you alone."

"This unworthy one cannot allow you to hurt those people who are trying to live peacefully in the Meiji era. If you intend on harming them, this unworthy one will not stand by idly and watch!"

"Such arrogance from a person who calls himself unworthy…" Kuto unceremoniously flung his spatula behind him and drew the sword Chou lent him. "Get him! Anyone in our way dies!"

* * *

The well water was crisp and fresh this night, Yumi noted, ladling it out with a bamboo ladle into a small teapot. She had become a nocturnal creature; maybe that's why she was always so irritable during the day. Or maybe it was because it was more peaceful in the evening.

As she dropped the dry tea leaves into the clear water, Yumi heard some faint metallic clanging in the air. She assumed that it was nothing out of the ordinary, perhaps some distant wind chime clanking away with the soft breeze. Not caring, she set the teapot on a portable coal stove and made a small fire. There was another clang, louder this time, as the tea leaves lost their buoyancy and drifted to the bottom of the teapot. Yumi once again convinced herself that she was just drowsy and was hearing things. When Megumi suddenly came out of the door behind her, Yumi almost fell over forwards toward the steaming teapot.

"Megumi-chan! It's ten at night; you shouldn't be up! Go back to bed!" Yumi ordered.

"Yumi-nee-chan, did you hear some strange sound just now?" Megumi noticed the peculiar look on Yumi face and added: "No, I'm not making it up! And Sou-chan isn't here either!"

To Megumi's surprise, Yumi didn't chastise her. "Funny, I heard something to, but I thought it was a wind chime! Are you sure Bouya (1) isn't in the house?"

"Bouya? Why are you calling Sou-chan with one of those odd western words?"

"Because Kirashi-san dressed him in that funny western shirt earlier today. And besides do you really—" Megumi couldn't hear anything past that because a tremendous battle roar echoed throughout the courtyard.

"That doesn't sound like a wind chime to me!"

* * *

Kenshin had an easy time rendering the bandits unconscious. However, the leader, Kuto, was at least semi-skilled, and managed to stay on his feet. The other half dozen bandits lay sprawled out in various places in the dirt.

Kuto, noticing his obvious failure in attacking Kenshin let loose a diatribe of bathroom invectives. _This guy's incredibly strong…_ Then he noticed the fallen bandits behind Kenshin stirring. _All I need is a diversion, and then he's finished. But how_…?

"Do you surrender?" Kenshin asked solemnly, violet eyes, almost amber, bored into Kuto's mind.

As Kuto adverted Kenshin's gaze, his beady little eyes, fell upon the sight of Soujiro, unarmed and standing to the side of the battleground where he could be easily reached. His fallen comrades were already silently getting up behind Kenshin. "Not yet!"

And to Kenshin's surprise, Kuto dashed not towards him, but to the side. "A side attack? That won't work." Kenshin coolly turned his head. Instantly, he caught sight of Kuto heading for someone else.

"SOUJIRO!!!"

Kenshin's shout snapped Soujiro out of his stunned state. He had been in this shocked condition ever since Kenshin KO'd the bandits within a couple of minutes. But now, he suddenly realized that the bandit leader was rushing towards him was bloodlust gleaming in his beady little eyes. So, he did what natural instinct told him to do: run for his life. Soujiro almost sighed at the irony of the situation if he wasn't going to be hacked in two at that moment. _Everything is different from yesterday, but I still have people who want me dead…_he thought as he easily escaped the descending blade of Kuto.

To Kuto, Soujiro seemed to have vanished into thin air. There was absolutely no trace of him where his sword had sliced into the ground, although there was a small dent in the ground where the boy used to be. The man was thoroughly perplexed.

Kenshin did see a blue blur that was Soujiro running away from Kuto before it disappeared. _Shukuchi…the speed that surpasses the god-speed of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu…a slow one, but nonetheless…_

"Himura-san!"

Kenshin heard Soujiro's voice from somewhere behind him. "Oro?" He quickly turned around, knocking down a bandit in the process with a whack from his russet colored ponytail. "ORO?!" The five other bandits that he KO'd just a few minutes ago had gained consciousness and were now charging towards him at an abnormally dramatic pace—

And Kenshin, in yet another display of incredibly rapid swordplay, dispatched of the five remaining bandits and Kuto, who was still staring at the patch of ground where Soujiro used to be.

Seeing as all the bandits were either unconscious or too injured to move, he sheathed his sword. "What should this unworthy one do with all of these people…?"

"Hey Himura!" Yumi shouted at Kenshin, "What are you doing out here making a racket! You might bring the police around here!" Then she noticed an unconscious bandit lying by her foot with his eyes blankly rolling around in his eye sockets. She shrieked, and jumped behind Kenshin. "That's disgusting! Why didn't you tell me he was right next to me!?"

"Sou-chan…" Megumi said between gulps of air, "…here you are…" Megumi collapsed to the ground beside him. She made a mental memo to herself that running in a kimono was in the "do not do unless in an emergency" list.

"Megumi-san, are you okay?"

"Fine…And I can see you are too. Why'd I have to worry about your well being so much? It's detrimental to my own health…"

"Anyone know what we do with them?" Kenshin asked once more, indicating the seven bandits on the ground.

"We tie them up!" Kirashi popped up out of nowhere, holding a length of thick twine in her hands.

* * *

The seven bandits were thus tied up in the middle of the sidewalk with a triumphant-looking Kirashi and an exasperated Kenshin looking on. Yumi had taken Soujiro and Megumi into the house and had not come back since.

"So what are you going to do, Kirashi-dono?"

Kirashi's triumphant look fell off her face. "I was considering to report it as a petty robbery, but there's too many of them for that reason to be plausible. I mean, would it take a raiding party to steal lady's jewelry? Even is it did make sense, I can't call the police."

"Why not?"

"But possessing swords, I'm making a transgression of the law anyways. So they can't know about it."

"Hehehe…that's right…" Kuto, despite what battered state he was in, was still able to speak coherently.

"Okay, so why do you need Kirashi-dono's heirlooms? You know that if you are a bad swordsman with an expensive sword, you're still a bad swordsman." Kenshin calmly spoke as Kuto seethed in fury. "It's possible that you would sell it on the black market, but the samurai who purchase it are already poorer than the merchant class; you won't get much for it."

"Humph. You think you know everything. Don't get so arrogant, flaunting a toy sword like yours. There are more of us!"

"So now you're all working under a more powerful villain."

"That's not what I meant!" Kuto panicked. People shouldn't know that Chou-sama was actually a mafia leader.

"In any case, this unworthy one will release you to tell your leader that if he wants any part of Kirashi-dono's property, he should come get it himself. Unless you wish to remain tied up in Kirashi-dono's storage shed."

Kenshin's pacific request was not like anything Kuto had predicted. Kuto had no desire to go back to Chou empty-handed; Chou always held swords on a pedestal higher than human life. On the other hand, staying in a storage shed wasn't much safer; Chou would know sooner or later that he had failed in his mission. Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to Kuto. He would just tell Kenshin that he was going to Chou, and then he'll run off to the country somewhere. "Fine. I'll tell him. Now release me!"

And Kenshin did. Kuto ran off, dragging the bodies of the six other bandits with him.

"You're that gullible…" Kirashi muttered, massaging her temples. "Don't you know that you have absolutely no way of controlling their actions?"

"Yes. This unworthy one knows. But it'll be a while before he comes back. So savor the peace while it lasts, Kirashi-dono."

* * *

A week later, there were no more surprise attacks upon the Kariwa household. This lack of events assuaged Kirashi greatly, as she seemed more lively nearing the end of the week. She spent more time outdoors occasionally working with the other hired field hands with the rice, leaving Yumi and Megumi to only cook and dust the furniture.

"Hey! How long are you going to keep practicing?" Megumi asked Soujiro and Kenshin while walking past them with a basket of wild onions.

"This unworthy one doesn't know. Why? It can't be past ten."

After the initial attempted bandit raid, Kenshin had started to train Soujiro. When Soujiro questioned upon this sudden difference in his opinion, Kenshin simply told him "Because you need to be able to defend yourself." And so he did. For the entire week, Kenshin had only taught Soujiro how to block and disarm his opponent.

"Because we're going to have lunch early and then go with Kirashi-san to the market." She told them.

"Oh, right. Kirashi-san did mention something about that yesterday, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did. Yumi-nee-chan's probably going to be done cooking in a few minutes. I need to tell Kirashi-san. Do you know where she went? I couldn't find her inside the house."

"This unworthy one thinks she went fishing." Kenshin replied. "Kirashi-dono specifically told this unworthy one not to go fishing."

* * *

Despite the wink on his face, Chou was aggravated by Kuto's disappearance. He managed to get hold of one of the bandits from Kuto's raiding party while having lunch at some port restaurant. The bandit had informed him that a short swordsman with red hair and cross scar on his cheek had intercepted their robbery.

Oiling the blade of his sword, Chou slowly opened the other eye. "Any blade the legendary Hitokiri Battousai uses must be priceless. Forget the Nagasone Koketsu. I want the sword of the greatest shadow assassin of the Isshin Shishi!"

* * *

"Anata…(2)" Kirashi said softly as if such a simple sound could break the harmonic spell created by the gentle flowing water of the stream and the flittering songs of the birds perched overhead in the forest canopy.

"Hmm?" Kariwa Henya sat with his back leaning on a sinewy willow tree by the streambed. His raven colored hair hung limply from his head, blowing in whichever direction the breeze chose. Not that he cared; Henya barely acknowledged the fact as he napped lazily near the water.

"I was going to ask you earlier, but I forgot." She apologized quickly for no apparent reason.

"That's fine. You know I don't really care about correct etiquette and that kind of stuff. What did you want to ask me?"

"Oh. I was just wondering what you thought of Himura-san and the other children."

It was a good bit of wondering upon Kirashi's part; Henya had greeted Yumi's stay with something that resembled mild discontent. Not that Henya didn't like her. He met Yumi with an odd impassiveness that he used to greet everyone else. It was just that he was thinking of what his long deceased grandfather would say if he sheltered kind of person in the house.

"I don't mind them. As long as Himura-san is doing what he's supposed to." He replied with indifference.

Kirashi sighed in relief. "If it's just that, then Himura-san's doing quite well. No one has bothered us in a week."

"Are you all worrying about that again?" Megumi's voice caused them to look up. "What's so important about it if you aren't planning to sell it?" And to Kirashi, she said: "Yumi needs the fish now."

"Ah. I'll give it to her then." Kirashi yanked up her fishing pole in the most unceremonious manner and collected her basket of tiny squiring fish. "Why don't you explain it to her, Anata? I've said enough for today."

"Well?"

Henya closed his eyes, trying to think of the best way to explain it to a twelve-year-old child.

"Well?"

"Well?"

"Will you stop saying 'well'?" he retorted. "Look. Is your family well known for doing something great?"

"My family practices medicine."

"What if you couldn't be a doctor? What then?"

"There's nothing wrong with being a lady doctor."

Henya smacked his forehead with his hand. "You misunderstood me. What if you ended up hurting someone instead of helping them?"

"My mom and dad will get mad at me. And then I'll be depressed and eventually kill myself."

"You're too far off into the suicidal end. But anyway, my family is like that. Every single one of them is some great warrior; a sword master or an important general in the army. Me, I have no talent with any kind of blade. I would probably drop it unless it's stuck to my hand. With sword skills like that, my ancestors would probably throw me out of the house if I didn't do something worthwhile."

"So keeping a couple of rusty swords is worthwhile? If you can't do anything with them, why keep them?"

"I'll keep them as long as it takes for me to create something that enables me to fly."

"Fly?" Megumi tilted her head to one side and looked quizzically at Henya. "Fly?" she repeated.

"Yes. Have you seen the birds fly in the air? What happens down here doesn't matter to them; they're truly free."

"And you want to be like that?"

"Of course. Don't you want to be like that too? To forget all your worries and leave your past mistakes behind? But I still need to figure out a way to keep me in the air for a long time. I first tried jumping off the side of a cliff—ended up stuck in a tree in the bottom of the ravine…" he said as he scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, I think that if I could do that, it'll make up for all those failed kendo lessons, right?"

"I guess…" Megumi thought it was a silly goal, but if it gave him a purpose in life, what could she say about it?

"Mou! (3)" Yumi stomped, as much as she could in a kimono, through the woods. "How come when I'm slaving away at the kitchen you all are bantering with each other? You can at least thank me by coming to lunch on time!" With that said, she huffed and stomped away.

"Yumi-nee-san wait for me!"

* * *

Glossary

1. Bouya—What Yumi calls Soujiro; Boy (from English)

2. Anata—literally "you"; what wives typically call their husbands (dear, honey, something along those lines)

3. Mou—an expression of exasperation.

Author's Notes: Yay! Soujiro can sort of do Shukuchi! (I want to be able to do that too, so then I actually don't have to half-kill myself in gym class. But then, Soujiro can probably do that because he's been carrying bales of rice since he was a little kid…) Now, did Soujiro do Shukuchi when he was running away from rice merchant and co.? I certainly hope not, because he crashed into Megumi, and crashing at near Shukuchi speeds isn't something safe to do. (I daresay it would be like crashing a car at 200 mph.) I couldn't do an extensive scene on the fight, I'm sorry. I don't know a thing about swordfights…

And I've acquired the knowledge that Yumi is supposed to be just two years older than Megumi. (Yumi-24, Megumi-22)Yumi's been treating Megumi like a child, but I guess she's just like that. Or maybe Megumi was relatively vertically challenged as a child.

Yay! Henya has a personality and a past! I couldn't leave him as some guy who resembles a bat for too long. The notion that he flies "just because" isn't too realistic. Besides, I imagine he has to stink at the sword if he used all those cheap tricks against Yahiko (not to mention he was beaten by him.) For some odd reason he reminds me of Aoshi when Misao's talking to him…

Thank you so much for the reviews!

Twilight Sky: Thank you! Yup, the character are kind of OC, but that's because it takes place ten years earlier and ten years is a _long_ time. Ten years ago I thought there were actually people in the TV and that's how it worked! Yeah, I plan on including all the Jupongatana…I just have to figure out how to fit in Iwanbou since Gein is in the Jinchuu arc.

Fallen: Now that I'm finally done with final exams, I can write more. Er…I hope. Anyhow, Soujiro's my favorite character, so I could write anything from Sou/Mis (if a bit overdone) to Sou/Tomoe. (I don't know exactly how to accomplish the latter one, as she's already dead and Rurouni Kenshin isn't exactly a ghost story.)

Lord Cirenmas: Thank you for reviewing! I should really try to make this fanfic into a doujinshi, except I'm too lazy and I have no clue how.


	7. Strength

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 7- Strength

The marketplace was already crowded and noisy when they arrived in the afternoon. The area closest to the ports was already filled with fishermen showing off their latest catch of the day, and the air was saturated with the nauseous blend of sea spray and dying fish. Not too surprisingly, many of the customers there held cheap white handkerchiefs (courtesy of the numerous tourist stands nearby) up to their noses in order to block out the odor. The main street of Yokohama, which led straight to the piers, was filled with open air bazaars, haggling shoppers, and the occasional pickpocket.

After picking her way through the markets of the fishermen, Megumi had deemed it impossible for them to find a place to set up a shop, only to have Yumi pick out a spot a few seconds later. Megumi could hardly help but sigh as she walked over to Yumi. Likewise, Kenshin could hardly help but smile, amused by the ironic twist of fate.

Doing so, no one noticed a tall mysterious man with a red shirt observing them from beneath the canopy of a soba stall. (1) When the waitress wasn't looking, Chou quietly set down his bowl and sneaked away. He didn't get far before the waitress, about fourteen years old, took a silvery platter from somewhere behind the soba stall and threw it at him. The platter connected with his head with a dull clang and fell to the ground, miraculously still whole.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you into my stand you thieving freeloader! If you want to leave, pay up!" she demanded while picking up the platter. "I am the great Amaterasu and you have to respect me!" (2) Amaterasu, with her hair tied up on one side of her head, appeared rather ludicrous as she shouted at Chou, who was most likely twice her height.

"Hey, kid. Do me a favor and I'll pay up the bill." Chou said, without moving from the position he was in when struck with the platter.

Amaterasu glared as fiercely as she could. "Why should I? I didn't come and ask for noodles—"

She immediately quieted when Chou suddenly turned around and held a knife to her throat. A couple of civilian onlookers turned away and began busying themselves with economic matters when this occurred. "That's why. So if you don't want me to kill you here and now, take this," Chou pulled a piece of paper from a non-existent pocket and shoved it into Amaterasu's hand, "and give it to that guy there." He pointed at the retreating form of Kenshin in the crowd. Only then did he take the knife away.

"The guy with red hair?" Amaterasu blinked, not believing what she saw. After a quick glance at Chou's upswept blond hair she concluded: _gaijin._(3)

"Yeah. Since you're so smart, I'll give you the money now." He said as he shoved some coins into her hand. "Now off you go. Keep the change." And then he pushed Amaterasu into the crowd where Kenshin disappeared into. "I'll be waiting. Himura Battousai."

* * *

After setting up a tent and the merchandise, Soujiro came up with an ingenious query. "What exactly do you sell?" he asked, glancing at the various objects that littered the counter. Stacks of papers, decorations, dolls, clothes, and rice cakes were among the things lying in the shop.

"Well, these papers are for people who want to buy the rice in bulk…they can just pick it up later…" Kirashi explained, only to be interrupted by a purchaser. "…the rice cakes and decorations are self-explanatory, there just cheap stuff that most people would buy if they wanted to… I'm a pretty good seamstress, so that's why the clothes are there."

Soujiro picked a doll on the counter. The doll as made of plain, un-patterned cloth, and its kimono was sewn together like a quilt with bits and pieces of multicolored fabric. "What about this?" he asked, showing her and then placing it back on the counter.

"Oh, that. It's nothing really. I had this old idea for parents who were traveling with their kids to stuff uncooked rice grains into these dolls so they didn't have to carry as much on their own. But, it didn't turn out as well as I thought—the children refused to let their parents take the rice out of the doll…Soujiro-kun?"

Soujiro was no longer listening, as his attention was focused on something happening at the other end of the street. Kirashi turned to see what had captivated his attention and gasped.

"Yumi-san! Get Soujiro to the back of the shop and cover him in a blanket or something!"

A few feet away, Yumi rolled her eyes. "Megumi-chan, you have a blanket?"

"Yeah, sure." She said, pulling out the much beloved fuzzy pink blanket. "Why?" Megumi didn't have to hear Yumi's reply because she saw who was walking towards them and ducked behind the counter.

Ichiro and Yanosuke, apparently bailed out of jail, were wandering the busy streets of Kanagawa to beguile and aggravate the general public. Kirashi, recognizing them, had immediately seizing the fuzzy pink blanket from Megumi's hands and draped it over Soujiro. She commanded him to stay still in the shadows and then turned around to come face to face with Yanosuke.

"Er…Konnichiwa, Yanosuke-san… (4)" she said, restraining herself from screaming at him to stay away from her area. "How are you and your brother today?" She kept her eyes trained at the illegal sword Ichiro had the nerve to carry around in broad daylight.

"We're fine. At least better off then you are." He scoffed, puffing away at his pipe. "Father just made a great business deal with a sake manufacturer in Kobe by marrying off Kageiro-chan. To tell you the truth, I don't think your small farm can handle the economics of this era. We will take over all your customers—"

"Well, that's only because you get most of them into buying your rice because you intimidate and lure them..." Kirashi muttered, incensed by Yanosuke's opinion of her best financial tries.

"—regardless of what you do." He said, picking up the doll Soujiro had just held in his hands a few seconds ago. "Selling petty children's toys will get you nowhere. Come on, Nii-san, let's go." He dropped the doll on the ground as he turned and left.

Kirashi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when the two left. She uncovered the fuzzy pink blanket beside her. "Alright, Soujiro-kun, they're gone."

Kirashi had been scared that Ichiro, with his habit of rummaging though other people's merchandise would uncover Soujiro and kill him with that sword of his. After all, that's what Soujiro had told her about them, and considering their egocentric personalities, she couldn't help but believe him. But there was one thing that kept tugging at her mind. "Where's Himura-san when you need him?"

* * *

Deep night had settled into the sky when she had asked him about it, only for Kenshin to answer: "There's something this unworthy one needs to do right now. Can this unworthy one go to complete that task?" he said in the most innocent rurouni way.

"Fine…" _It wasn't really that important_, Kirashi told herself.

"Doing something? Does it have to do with that waitress you were flirting with in the afternoon?" Yumi commented, hoping to get a rise out of Kenshin.

"She gave this unworthy one a note to talk with a troubled youth in police custody now." Kenshin said, not quite telling the whole truth.

"You're no fun." Yumi complained and then walked away to go to bed.

"That's okay." He waved goodbye as if nothing important was happening. "This unworthy one will be back soon."

* * *

Even though the note a young waitress delivered had been brief, Kenshin had a good idea of what to expect as he headed to the deserted Shinto shrine near the Kariwa residence. It simply challenged him to a duel at the shrine at sundown; it was signed not by a name but by an odd alias: SWORDHUNTER. He quickly deemed that it was the head of the bandits who were constantly pestering Kirashi and her family before they arrived.

Kenshin had the suspicion that this fight was staged in order to keep him away from protecting Kirashi and the others. Thus, he had hesitated until it was well into the night before arriving. He was sure his opponent wouldn't mind, because he would most likely be the same as the roguish bandits who assaulted them a week ago, meaning lacking of the responsibility and care for time.

The steps ascending to the shrine in the forest were unkempt. Dried leaved and all sorts of debris littered the pathway; Kenshin had actually walked past the shrine before felling the kenki (5) of his opponent somewhere behind him. Retracing his steps, Kenshin found the obscured steps into the hillside and headed up. Sitting underneath the battered temple gate in the most lackluster manner, was Chou and is army of lackeys.

Needless to say, Chou was not pleased. He had been waiting outside for Kenshin to arrive for three, exceedingly dull hours. The very image of Kenshin taking his merry time climbing the steps infuriated him. Before Kenshin was halfway to the shrine, Chou called out in a distinctly Osakan accent. "Hurry up! You're already late!"

Kenshin raced up the rest of the way apologizing all the way. "This unworthy one is sorry! This unworthy one couldn't find the place!"

"You should be. You'll soon regret it. No one insults Chou the Swordhunter!" Turning to the lackeys behind him, he said: "Go fetch me the Nagasone Koketsu from that dingy old place. A great sword doesn't belong in the hands of some incompetent samurai." The lackeys raced off in the direction in which Kenshin came. Chou looked back at Kenshin and drew his sword. "You aren't worried, Battousai? Leaving a pathetic samurai, women and children against my army of bandits? They won't stand a chance."

* * *

Kirashi waited until Kenshin was far away before visiting Megumi and Soujiro in their room. She knew that they should be asleep by now, as it was past ten, but knowing how kids were, she half expected them to be up until past midnight. Her latter prediction became true when she heard the ruffling of blankets and giggling though the paper door. Smiling at their childish antics, she slid open the door.

"Sorry, Kirashi-san! We'll go to sleep! We'll be good!" Megumi said under a pile of blankets in the corner.

"It's alright. Next time don't let me catch you. What's this?" she asked, indicating the pile of blankets.

"It's a tent!" Soujiro said happily popping up from underneath the fluffy mass. "See Kirashi-san? We propped it up with the fishing poles Himura-san never uses. And Megumi-san was telling me about Yuki-onna (6) and kappa (7)"

"Yeah, I see, Soujiro-kun. That's very nice. However, may I talk to you two about something more serious?" Kirashi hated to spoil the tone in the room, but it was important.

"Areh?"

"Soujiro-kun, your family tried to kill you, right?" Kirashi said, ignoring the looks form Megumi that clearly said "How did you know that?"

"Yeah. I guess." Soujiro said sadly, even his smile wavered. "I guess it's only a matter of time…even so, I don't want to…"

"Don't worry. You're not going to." Kirashi told him as she patted him on the head. "I'll make sure of it. I just need to know how I can get them to go someplace where they can't hurt you."

"The police locked up Yanosuke-san and Ichiro-san last week." Megumi said. "But I just can't see them breaking out of jail."

"Then why were they out on the streets today?" Kirashi asked. An idea popped up into her head. "They probably bailed themselves out with all the money they got from marrying off the daughter…stupid rich people…get to do whatever they want…"

"But then the Meiji government is unfair!" Megumi protested. "They said that they were going to help the oppressed people!"

"Yeah…but the government is made up of people; it's hopelessly corrupted." Soujiro said quietly. "I don't think there much any of us can do about it."

Kirashi's eyes quickly widened at this and then reverted to their normal size. "Oh yes, I guess that's true. But it's so unfortunate…I just need to find another way to land them in jail. Then everything will be okay. Right?"

Megumi and Soujiro opened their mouths to speak, but their voices were drowned out by the uproar outside.

"Kirashi-san? What was that?" Megumi said, beginning to panic. "Is Ken-san here?" She became more worried when Kirashi didn't answer.

Yumi ran into the room at that moment with Henya at her heels. "Kirashi-san! Do you know what's happening? There's about a hundred thugs closing in on us from the woods and you let Himura go on a merry little jaunt to visit some troubled youth in police custody! I'm too pretty to die!"

* * *

Kenshin didn't draw his weapon when Chou did. Instead he looked Chou fiercely in the eye.

"Chou. You're wrong. They do stand a chance. All of them, they're not so weak. Kariwa Henya, even though this unworthy one never knew him that well…he will not give up so easily to your men. He has already resisted the ban on swords with his samurai pride. Even if he isn't the greatest warrior ever, that pride will keep him from surrendering to your men. And Kirashi-dono, she has already faced hardships through taking care of her estate and her family. Kirashi-dono's love for the people around her will protect them as long as she's alive. Yumi-dono isn't so pathetic either. Even though she's not a fighter, and worries over her appearance, she does have a powerful fighting spirit. This unworthy one feels it every time she yells at this unworthy one when she's frustrated at preparing meals or cleaning the house. Had she learned the art of the killing instead of the art of flower arranging, it would be you're men who wouldn't have a chance. Megumi-dono, even though she can't fight against your men, she has the compassion and art that will save the people around her. For every injury your men inflict on them, Megumi-dono can heal twice as many injuries. She's already made up her mind to help people, no matter what other people think of her or what happens to her. No one can deter her from that path of caring for others. And Soujiro…this unworthy one knows that he's truly gentle, and doesn't want to hurt anyone. But he wants to protect Megumi-dono and the others. And when a person has something important to them to protect, that is when they can become truly strong!"

"Humph." Chou snorted. "Say what you want. But for now, it's our own battle!" And he leapt forwards with his sword, his mind bent on the intent of destroying Kenshin.

* * *

"Yes, I am aware." Kirashi said in an eerily calm voice. "Yumi, go find Himura while there's still time before they're upon us. Anata, go find some of those fireworks you were keeping for the day you perfected your flying machine. We might need them tonight, not for celebration, but for other means. Megumi-chan, stay in here, preferably under your tent so you can heal any injuries we get afterwards." Megumi looked at Kirashi with puzzlement. "My husband told me about what you want to do. And Soujiro—"

"I'll fight." Soujiro said, taking an extra bamboo fishing rod from the tent. "I knew that someday I have to defend everyone, so that's why I asked Himura-san to help train me. I'll protect the people most important to me!"

"All right. You do that." Kirashi said softly. "Here they come." She stated as the bandits swarmed though the rice fields like a nest of hornets.

"Let's go."

* * *

Glossary:

1. Soba—noodles

2. Amaterasu—the name of a Shinto goddess who, in Japanese mythology, created Japan.

3. Gaijin—foreigner

4. Konnichiwa—Good afternoon

5. Kenki—Sword aura thing.

6. Yuki-onna—The Snow Woman. In Japanese folklore a woman dressed all in white who takes the lives of men trapped hopelessly in snowy mountains.

7. Kappa—a river demon in Japanese folklore. A turtle-monkey thing that has a dish of water on its head. If the water pours out of the dish, the kappa is powerless.

Author's Notes: Wheeee! Summer Vacation! …Except I don't like my English final exam grade. Doesn't anyone find it annoying when you get your report card and it's all one grade except for one? It sort of breaks the harmonic monotony of my report card… Even though it's summer vacation, I have no time (or energy) to write because I have to take care of little kids at summer camp…

I think I had Sano in mind when I wrote this. Doesn't anyone think Chou would be the kind of person to go freeloading? Though I believe he only did that to get Kenshin… I think Amaterasu made a good entrance into this fanfic, ne? If you're trying to rack your brains to try to figure out if she's a real character, she's an OC. She'll play a bigger role later on in the fanfic, but I'll just introduce her now. I made all of them go to the marketplace in the afternoon instead of the morning, when most of the people go because…they just are. Just think of Kirashi's market practices as a bit unorthodox, and the problem is solved. Yay for Kenshin's long rant about the characters. I think he said all I wanted you guys to know about the characters so far.

So, the big battle of this plot line! And keep in mind Kenshin hasn't taught Soujiro to fight yet. But he's not known as Tenken for nothing!

Reviewer Feedback: (Thank you so much! Keep on reading and reviewing!)

GENKI-NINJA: I think the Soujiro/Misao pairing is fine, but it's really overdone by fanfic authors, and they might end up annoying each other to death.

Lord Cirenmas: Ah! My faithful reviewer! You deserve a chibi Soujiro or Megumi plushie for being such a good reviewer!

Kyone: Is it really that interesting? Maybe I'll write another Sou/Meg fic after I finish this one! (Or not, who knows?)

sekihoutai: Yeah, the beginning never had much plot to start with, but I might edit it later. I ended up making Henya a cooler person in this fic since I was doodling pictures for this and I made Henya into a bishounen (hard to imagine, isn't it?)


	8. The Making of an Antagonist

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 8—The Making of an Antagonist

There were at least fifty of them, Yumi noted, as she silently crept around the corner of the house. _They would be outnumbered twelve and a half to one._ She shook her head. _Stupid! You can't have half of a person alive!_ Then she thought of the gruesome image and shivered. _I definitely don't want to see that again_, she thought, remembering the mystifying man wrapped in bandages. _I wonder who he is. I've never seen him before. Have I?_

Overhead, the wind blew slightly so that the leaves of the maple tree beside her fluttered in the wind. Only under the flickering shadow of the leaves did she sneak out in her bare feet, because any type of footwear would make some sound. Making her way into the deserted street, she stuck close to the shadows of building that lined the road. In that fashion, she made her way into the center of Yokohama and the police station that rested in its heart.

* * *

Kenshin didn't unsheathe his sword during Chou's pass. Instead, he simply moved out of the way and Chou charged straight into a tree.

"You think you're so great, dodging my attack. Well, we'll see who's victorious in the end! Draw your sword!"

"Why?"

"Because I want to prove that I'm better than you are. I already know that I am, of course, but just to prove it."

Kenshin seemed to be quite confused. "If you know this unworthy one is the Hitokiri Battousai, why do you think you're stronger?" It seemed like Kenshin, eager to have his opponent surrender, vexed Chou in a very grave way.

"Because you're so weak that you become some guy's hireling! A strong person wouldn't have to answer to the demands of anyone! They can do everything for themselves! The Hitokiri Battousai was strong before! But now that he answers to some decrepit fool, he isn't worthy to be revered or feared! Isn't that why you refer to yourself as 'this unworthy one?'"

"No, that isn't true. The Hitokiri Battousai," Kenshin flinched as he said this, "was always just a mere hireling. The Hitokiri Battousai was only a tool used by the Ishin Shishi (1) to bring in the Meiji era. This unworthy one didn't take the lives of countless nameless individuals for this unworthy one's own reasons. This unworthy one thinks that, even as the Hitokiri Battousai, wouldn't it be too selfish to never yield to the needs of others? What has caused you to think this way?"

"Is that how it is? You just start chipping away at the moral values of a person to win? I thought you were more exciting than that…"

* * *

Outskirts of Osaka: June, 1862

"Haku-nii! It's getting out of its cage!"

"Look! That cricket jumped really far!"

"Catch it before it jumps into my hair!"

"Calm down, Ruki-chan! I got it."

A younger Chou, about ten years old, watched the other children play amongst themselves in the schoolyard. He longed to be with them, but instead, there he was, stuck sitting under the shade of a large oak tree.

"Hey, kid." A voice behind him said. Chou turned his head to see who it was. A tall man with his dark hair tied behind him in a ponytail stood behind him. "Why aren't you playing with all the other kids?" He turned to look at the other children, happily amusing themselves with the little creatures.

"I got in trouble with Kinomura-sensei by saying bad word in class. I'm not allowed to play, but I want to."

The man beside him did not make any reassuring speech, as Chou had expected. "Kinomura-sensei only said that you couldn't. You can do whatever you want."

"But if he finds out, I'll get in trouble. And I can't get in trouble, because then my parents will find out and I'll be in worse trouble than before."

"Just because you're a kid doesn't mean you're helpless. You still have to fight to get what you want." He said, motioning the two swords at his waist. Then he turned to go, strolling into the dusty street outside of the courtyard. "I don't care what you do, but remember that you'll never get anywhere if you let other people control your life."

Night

The room was dark, very dark. Chou could hardly see his own hands as they reached forward to find any walls, obstacles, or other objects lying around the temple floor. It was odd, he knew, for most temples are kept clear without unnecessary debris littering the ground. However, he kept that opinion to himself after unceremoniously tripping over a tofu bucket.

And so, in the darkness, he pressed on toward the small glimmering light in the distance. The azure glow became brighter as he approached it. Chou saw the hilt of the blade and grabbed it.

It was curiously shaped: a flexible, serpentine blade slid out with the hilt and came to rest on the floor like a satin ribbon when he moved it.

Eyes transfixed on the sword, Chou failed to notice an atrophied hand reach out of the darkness and clap him on the shoulder. Chou gasped, too afraid to turn around to see what was there.

"So, you've discovered this old shrine's holy sword, eh?" the old man of which the hand belonged to said, "Sorry if you want to see the true Hakujin no Tachi (3). This is a shadow blade; Shakkuu gave the true one to a shrine in Yokohama."

_True Hakujin no Tachi? _

"I suggest you run along now before your parents miss you."

_"You can do whatever you want…" _

"No! I need this sword!" he screamed at the decrepit old man. "There's someone I need to kill! That's the only way I can get what I want!"

"Now, now… that's not the right way to solve problems." The old man said, trying to wrestle the blade from Chou's hands.

"I don't care! I don't want to do whatever you adults tell me! It's my life!" Before the old man was able to remove a hand from the sword, Chou had swung it wildly, cutting the old man in two symmetrical pieces in the process. The old man died instantly, while the sword had pulverized itself and broken into pieces.

As Chou stared at the carnage, he began to panic. Certainly someone was going to find out, right? But with the sword broken, he would have to find a new one to replace that one. _Oh, where did he say the better sword was? Shrine in __Yokohama__, was it?_

And, no, killing didn't feel too bad. He felt power, and it felt very nice.

* * *

Chou's little army of bandits, pickpockets, and other types of street thugs were ready. Much to the encouragement of their leader, they had all loaded up on knives and all sorts of weaponry, modern or anachronistic. As soon and Chou had allowed them to go, they made a beeline for the little building that sat at the edge of town, cutting down perfectly healthy tree branches and trampling the undergrowth in their wake.

The new leader Senkaku, a gigantic man with a rather conical head, had absolutely no control over the wild attackers. He simply allowed them to do whatever they wanted; it didn't matter if they attracted the attention of the municipal police force—there were enough of them to take the entire city in one night. Thus, they razed the plants growing the rice paddy and sloshed the muddy water everywhere, not caring what happened afterwards. It was only when Senkaku had gotten close enough to the house (for he had poor vision) that he realized he had done something wrong.

The scattered bandits were quickly being knocked down by a child armed with only a single bamboo fishing rod. This first notion did not alarm Senkaku to any extent; he was confident that all the roguish thugs on there side would soon outnumber him. The ones already lying on the ground were the ones that were the fastest, and therefore, got there first. However, something else was happening that was not expected. The fallen bandits had failed to stand back up…

Kirashi and Megumi stuck close to Soujiro. Despite whatever battle skills they both lacked, they were not totally useless, for they were armed with Kirashi's numerous sewing needles and pins.

As Soujiro stunned the bandits by quickly disarming and then knocking them to the ground, Megumi and Kirashi quickly moved to shove the sharp metal objects into the bundles of nerves in the neck.

"In spite of all of this being dangerous, I find this amusing." Kirashi said, stabbing a bandit with a pin. "I never realized how useful acupuncture can be. To render someone helpless for a period of time with hardly any side effects…I'll have to remember to thank Okaa-san (2) for giving me those useless lessons."

"Kirashi-san? How long do they stay that way?" Soujiro said nervously, as some of them were beginning to stir.

"Long enough. Anata! How long is that going to take you? Just throw them in a cluster of them and keep them far away from us!" Kirashi turned hastily to look at Henya, who was hurriedly tying the fireworks into large bundles with some twine.

He was soon done, as he then threw a lit clump of fireworks to the right of Kirashi, in Soujiro's blind spot. It bounced off the head of one of the bandits, and then detonated, sending the three bandits flying through the air in a dazzling display of multicolored lights.

Watching all of this happen in the distance was Senkaku, who did not like it one bit. He quickly organized the remaining bandits into a more concentrated invasion force in an attempt to turn the tide of the battle.

* * *

Chou found Kenshin's mental attacks to be particularly disturbing. He figured the fastest way to cease the endless babble from Kenshin's mouth was to kill him—fast. Thus he chucked the blade in his hand at Kenshin.

Kenshin casually stepped to the left and the sword missed, hitting the temple bell when it finished its brief maiden voyage though the air. The temple bell, old as it was, make a clanking, cacophonous noise when struck with the projectile. "Maa…would you mind? Let's leave the poor bell alone when we fight." He said in a joking manner as Chou fumed.

"No! I will kill you and take the weapon of the Hitokiri Battousai!" Chou drew out another sword with two blades and aimed it at Kenshin.

He instantly recognized the stance. "You're imitating Shinsengumi third unit commander Saitou Hajime's Gatotsu? Even though it's a very good imitation, it won't work."

"How would you know? Come and find out. This is the Renbatou (4). Even if I don't kill you immediately, the wounds made by this sword can't be sewn up. You'll die of infection."

"Well, then I'll do this."

Kenshin clicked the sword loose from its sheath and took the whole thing from beside his waist. Holding the hilt of the sword, he flung the sheath at Chou.

Chou, expecting Kenshin to charge at him, hardly saw the metal saya (5) before it clocked him on the head. Recovering from that in a short span of time, he swung the two swords blindly in front of him, thirsty for revenge against Kenshin for making him look so stupid. (Although a part of him was quite happy that he sent all his men to raid elsewhere so they didn't see him being so pathetic.) Then he found himself crossing swords with the Hitokiri Battousai. Only then did he recognize the difference in their weapons.

"What's wrong with that sword?!"

"This? It's a sakabatou."

"A saka-wha?"

* * *

Yumi had made it to the police station unscathed when she discovered that the station was deserted. _Himura! Where did he go? He lied to me about the troubled youth didn't he? I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!_

She was about to start screaming out loud in frustration when a jarring din rang out throughout the town. Still rubbing her ears to rid them of the sound, she started out toward the place the noise had come from. _Sounds like a temple bell…Wait. Isn't there some deserted shrine somewhere near Kirashi-san's house? Himura, you better have a good explanation as to why you're there!_

* * *

"Sakabatou. The dull edge and the cutting edge are reversed, so that it does not take human life."

Chou stepped back a couple of paces and chuckled. "I like odd swords, especially ones made by Arai Shakkuu. Your sword's unique for a hitokiri, isn't it? I probably won't do me any good, but at least I get bragging rights if I defeated you, right? I think I'll take it from you by using my favorite killing blade." Chou threw the useless Renbatou to the ground and tugged at something wrapped around his waist.

"Behold! My favorite sword! The true killing sword Hakujin no Tachi!" The blade snapped into the air and dove to the ground like a viscous cobra, poised to stab into its opponent. "Now it's true madness." Chou flipped the sword in the air, and the blade rose into the air towards Kenshin to stab him from the side.

"Chou! How did you get such a murderous weapon?" Kenshin exclaimed as he dodged out of the path of the blade.

"Jealous, aren't you? This is where I found it."

* * *

Yokohama: Shrine of the Moon; July, 1862

"Took long enough to find this place." Chou muttered to himself as he trudged up the stone steps toward the shrine. "That old guy has to be right about the true Hakujin no Tachi being here." He thought as he looked at the book he was carrying labeled "Kami-sama no Sekai: A guide to Yokohama's most popular and unique shrines. (6)" "I just about went through every religious temple thing from every single religion in this stupid town."

"This is the only place I haven't looked." He said to himself as he cleared the red arched gate. Before him were a gigantic copper bell, and then the solid wooden structure of the Shinto Shrine.

"May I help you?" a sweet voice asked. The voice belonged to a diminutive shrine maiden sweeping the temple grounds. Her raven hair had slipped out from the bun at the top of her head and fallen before her eyes. When Chou had come in, she had hurriedly pushed the stray locks back. "My name is Kaguya. This is the Shrine of the Moon. Are your parents here with you? You're welcome to ring the bell." She informed Chou as he walked up to the rotund metal object.

Chou stared at the shiny, polished surface of the bell. He looked at the distorted reflection that was his face and then the mostly white and red figure that was Kaguya looking on in the background. It was almost a shame to kill her and stain the shrine with her blood, but it was necessary.

Then in an instant, Chou turned and sprung at Kaguya. Unsheathing a knife in midair, he stabbed her in the chest, immediately killing her. But still, she stared at him with dull lifeless eyes.

* * *

Chou repeatedly swung the Hakujin no Tachi about, and Kenshin was attempting to become as passive as possible by dodging the fluid, ribbon-like motion of the ever-changing blade.

Needless to say, the temple grounds were utterly destroyed by this kind of violence. As they fought, the now tarnished bell crashed to the ground as the Hakujin no Tachi slashed through the thick rope suspending the bell. The red temple gate fell to the ground when Kenshin had jumped on to it to ricochet to the other side of the temple yard. As the gate fell, the chipped crimson painted wood had splintered, and the fragments fell to the ground like slivers of solidified scarlet blood. And among the crashing of the wooden gate, Kenshin had heard a definite scream beyond the splintered debris.

As Kenshin had paused to focus on the origin of that voice, Chou took the opportunity to fling the Hakujin no Tachi at the copper bell Kenshin was standing on. But as he did so, he saw a ghastly image of a women dressed in white and red robes reflected in the bell, despite all the patina that had built up over the metal object over the years. Then, Chou sliced through the bell, and continued to swing his sword around to the remains of the wreaked temple gate and the ghostly entity that stood there.

"Yumi-dono!" Kenshin shouted as she emerged from behind the gate, disheveled kimono and all.

"What are you doing in there Himura?! Stop fooling around! You're so useless!" she screamed at him, unaware of the edge of Hakuji no Tachi flying towards her.

Kenshin suddenly was beside her, blocking Chou's sword from reaching her. And when Chou twisted it to go for another strike, Kenshin wrapped the Hakujin no Tachi around his sakabatou and quickly sheathed it. From this motion, the Hakujin no Tachi splintered and broke from that point.

"No…my sword…it should have been strong enough to slice you sakabatou in half! How did this happen?" Chou said, bewildered.

"Swords and weaponry are powerful, but they are useless if the people using them only rely on that. This unworthy one told you before. The person behind the blade can only gain their true strength if they have something important to protect. Swords and violence are not the answer to all the problems in this world. The world you want is one where you can be happy, but in every era man has lived through, there are responsibilities everyone has to complete and rules to abide to! You can only be truly satisfied if they people you care about are safe and happy. And for that to happen, you cannot think only of yourself! You're no longer a child! Learn to think about all the other people who still care about you! And then maybe you won't have such an obsession with killing to get what you want."

Chou was in a state of stupor. He hadn't expected such a moral denunciation from Kenshin. "Maybe…"

"There's more than one road to take your lifetime. Maybe you can still keep your swords and not harm other people at the same time. Think about it." Then he turned to Yumi. "We should go now; Kirahsi-dono and the others might need us."

"It's just you…"

* * *

Henya's fireworks turned dangerous explosive devices proved to be very useful and effective. The number of conscious bandits had dropped dramatically, and all was going fairly well. However, Senkaku had separated his men into two main groups and conceived what he had thought to be as the perfect battle strategy. One group was to lead Soujiro away from the Megumi and Kirashi, and the other was to lure Henya's explosives away from himself when he went after the two women. Now it was for Senkaku to enter the battle and to victory!

The bandits Soujiro faced were not actually difficult to defeat. Part of him thought that was because they didn't see a threat in a boy of eight years. However, the other part of his mind was focused on the dreadful fact something was not all right.

His reasoning was concluded when he heard Megumi and Kirashi scream out somewhere behind him. A gigantic man with arched blades held in his hands towered over them with every intention to kill.

Quickly, Soujiro snatched up a knife from one of the unconscious bandits and ran toward them so swiftly that it seemed to the other conscious bandits like he had disappeared into thin air.

Senkaku was about to slam the blades down on Kirashi and Megumi when agonizing pain coursed through the palms of his hands. At a closer glance, Senkaku realized that Soujiro, the azure blur that slipped past him, had buried the short sword into his hands so that they were pierced together. Seeing Soujiro slide to a stop some meter away, Senkaku furiously wrenched his right hand free and threw the arched blade at the Soujiro. Then his world exploded into bright amber colors as Henya's bomb had detonated behind him and propelled him into the air. Remarkably, Senkaku was hardly affected by the blast, and still was able to stand up. He was planning to go and chop that annoying little bomber into bite-sized pieces when something slammed down on the muscle between his head and left shoulder.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu—Ryuu Tsui Sen!" Kenshin shouted, attacking Senkaku from above. After his attack, Senkaku immediately fell to the ground, KO'ed.

Behind Kenshin, Yumi rushed over to see if Kirashi and Megumi were all right. By using Kirashi's shawl as a shield, they both were able to escape the worst heat of the firework explosion. Henya too was unscathed, as most of the bandits attacking him were blasted away before reaching three meters of him.

"I'm so glad to see you're all alright, no thanks to _someone._" Yumi said, glaring at Kenshin, who was whistling innocently. "But what about Bouya?"

"Bouya?" Kirashi repeated, confused.

"Sou-chan?" Megumi murmured. "He was just right there. And then he went over there…" Her finger traced the route in the air and came to land over a small bloodied body lying on the ground. She gasped. "Sou-chan!"

* * *

Glossary

1. Ishin Shishi – the Patriots; the side of the Bakumatsu that wanted to restore power to the emperor and open the country up to western influence.

2. Okaa-san – Mother

3. Hakujin no Tachi –Thin Bladed Sword; the name of the twisty sword Chou uses. Forged by Arai Shakkuu, the maker of Kenshin's sakabatou.

4. Renbatou—Linked Blade Sword; also forged by Arai Shakkuu

5. Saya – the sheath

6. Kami-sama no Sekai—God's world. My made up name for a tourist pamphlet.

Author's notes: Yay! Otakon!! I finally got that plastic Soujiro doll! Wheee! (Never mind that I made one out of fabric out of cloth already.)

Do you think Chou could have cursed a bit more in this chapter? I'm sort of picky about slang, so I didn't do much in this draft. Does anyone think I should change it? (This fanfic was rated PG13 for the violence, but not language.) But, it was fun/brain racking trying to make up a story for Chou's past. But then, making up character pasts is the point of this whole story. Saizuchi, Kamatari…I'll get to them.

Whoever thought acupuncture would pop into this? Yeah, I just included it because 1. Kirashi and Megumi have to have something to do and 2. Because I got obsessed with Naruto and discovered the easiest person to draw was Haku, and he was good at acupuncture.

Ack…I hate writing fight scenes. Hopefully the next chapter is easier on my brain to write…

Poor Soujiro…he's half dead…again…OO But that's alright, because I can't write angst, he can't suffer that much. Although it's kind of unfair. I need to make Megumi suffer more. Mwahahaha… (Tsubaki: Oo…Meii-chan… (I got a muse!))

sekihoutai—About the Henya thing…it's just weird, because I drew character designs for each character, and it's a well known fact (actually, not at all well known) that I can only draw two kinds of things: cute things and feminine things. I can't draw disfigured people like Watsuki-san, so Henya ended up looking somewhat…...Heh. I did base that whole thing on Sano's dining preferences, but Amaterasu isn't exactly Tae. (Emphasis on attacking freeloaders)

Lord Cirenmas—I like Soujiro/Misao stories. Really. But there's too many of them! So it's hard to write one that's really original. Besides, I feel sorry for Misao if she spent most of her life in love with Aoshi and then someone just stuck her with someone else.

AngeloftheDeceased—I guess Soujiro/Yumi is do-able, But wouldn't Shishio-san be really incensed? (Although Kamatari-san would be in ecstasy…)

Oni Tenshi – if you've read far enough to this review, Yay! Good for you! How is my writing?

Don't forget to Review!!


	9. Convalescence

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 9 –Convalescence

"Sou-chan!"

_No…it cannot be…but…_

Megumi was petrified by the amount of blood that had already pooled around him. Just at that sight, Megumi's vision blurred and she began to sob into Kirashi's shawl.

A second later, she felt a hot, burning sting across her cheek as Yumi slapped her.

"What's that for? Leave me alone in my misery!"

"Baka. Don't be so sentimental. Bouya isn't dead yet." Yumi explained as she walked towards Soujiro, away from Megumi. "You can just sit here and cry, but that's not going to make anything right. Some doctor you are, if you just let your patients be as they are if they're critically injured. You're so useless…humph."

_"…however, I guess I'm the one who has to apologize to you. I didn't do anything when…um…"_

_Yes…all this time…so many people have been in pain. In war…in peace… Perhaps all I did was stand by and watch. I did nothing. Nothing…_

"I'll do it." Megumi said in a sudden burst of determination. "Henya-san, please get an extra tatami mat and set it somewhere in the house. Ken-san, can you bring Sou-chan inside? Here," she said, handing the fuzzy pink blanket to Kenshin, "use this so you won't get your clothes all bloody. Yumi-nee-san, go boil some water. A lot of water. And please get a clean towel. Kirashi-san, can you get smaller sewing needles and some bandages? Please hurry…"

"That's a good girl." Yumi faintly smiled at her before rushing to her task.

* * *

After Yumi had brought the boiled water, Megumi had hurriedly drenched a towel in it without any thought of how hot the water was.

"Megumi, I just took that water of the stove. Be careful." Yumi told her.

"I know. Thanks. Kirashi-san and I can handle it from here. Can you three do something about all those half-dead bandits in the yard? They'll all be fine if you carefully pull the needles and pins out."

"Ah…" Kenshin said softly, turning to go. "Take care of him, Megumi-dono."

Megumi then held the now not so scalding towel and began to clean away the blood that was already drying on Soujiro's skin.

"Itai… (1)" Soujiro murmured softly, surprising Megumi and causing her jump up.

"You're awake!?" She sputtered, clutching the dripping towel to her chest. _How can anyone almost get sliced in half and still not scream if they're conscious?_

"Yes…so…? I can't really feel anything right now. I think I'm going numb, so I'm alright." He started to sit up.

"Regardless, you are not getting up." Kirashi said firmly, pushing Soujiro back to the tatami mat. "Megumi-chan, give me that needle, I can sew better than you."

"Here, run it over the candle flame for a few seconds. That should sterilize it. Sou-chan, just…go to sleep."

* * *

He could remember rushing toward the giant man with a cone shaped head. He could remember how he had skewered that man's hands by using a sword with a cold, piercing edge. He could remember his relief when turned and discovered that it wasn't Kirashi-san or Megumi-san screaming in agony, but that giant, bad man.

But, there were also bad memories; those that still shocked him. Those that consisted of the man's arched blade flying toward him. Those of the corner of the metal arc crushing his ribs before ripping diagonally through his chest. And as he lied there bleeding, he could not help but remember how similar this fear and pain felt to when he was still trapped within the confines of the rice merchant's home.

But that was alright. He knew that Megumi-san, Himura-san and everyone else was with him. That's why he was still smiling.

* * *

Four hours later

"There." Kirashi said, wiping sweat off her brow. "I lost count after fifty stitches."

"That's a lot. Especially if you factor in two broken ribs and hemorrhage. Poor Sou-chan." Megumi said sadly, bandages scattered around her and tied up behind her hair to keep it out of the way.

Kirashi patted her shoulder. "That's all you can do now. Try and get some sleep, Megumi-chan. It won't help Soujiro-kun at all if you're not getting enough sleep. I'll be in the next room, so if anything happens, just tell me."

"Ah…" Megumi said, watching her go.

"Thank you, Megumi-san…"

"Sou-chan! Were you awake this whole time?" Megumi said as quietly as she could to still seem startled.

"Yup!"

"Fine! I'm going to solve your insomniac problem!"

Soujiro did not have time to say anything before Megumi sat down next to him and started singing.

_"Yoru no sora ni matataku,_

_Tooi kin no hoshi._

_Yuube yume te miageta,_

_Kotori to onaji iro."_

_In the night sky, they twinkle.__The far stars of gold.__The same color as the small bird,__That looked up in my dream last night._

_"Nemurenu yoru ni,_

_Hitori utau uta._

_Wataru kaze to iisho ni,_

_Omoi wo nosete tobu yo."_

_In the sleepless night,__I sing this song alone.__Together with the blowing wind,__I fly riding on my thoughts._

_"Yoru no sora ni kagayaku,_

_Tooi gin no tsuki._

_Yuube yume te saite' ta,_

_Nobara to onaji iro."_

_In the night sky, it sparkles.__The distant moon of silver.__The same color as the wild rose,__That was blooming in my dream last night._

_"Yasashii yoru ni,_

_Hitori utau uta._

_Asu wa kimi to utaou,_

_Yume no tsubasa ni notte."_

_In the gentle night,__I sing this song alone.__Let me sing with you tomorrow,__Riding the wings of dreams._

Megumi finished her song, convincing herself that there was no possible way Soujiro was still awake.

"That was a very nice song, Megumi-san."

"Why are you not asleep?!" she almost yelled at him, frustrated.

"It's morning." And, indeed, the dawn sun had streaked the sky with a fuzzy pink color as radiant beams peeked out from over the horizon. Somewhere in the distance, a rooster announced the beginning of a new day.

"Argh…stupid sun…"

* * *

Three days later

"Himura! What did you do to this fish?!" Yumi's angry voice rang out like a siren. "It looks like you gave it to a cat for a chew toy!"

"Fish?" Kenshin's head appeared in the doorway. "This unworthy did not go fishing yet. This unworthy one has not done anything to that poor fish." He said, noticing the mutilated animal lying on the kitchen counter.

"Funny." Yumi mused. "Especially since you're always the one who ends up bringing me the odd variations of guppies to cook!"

"Actually, I caught the fish this morning." Henya said, appearing behind Kenshin in the doorway.

"Er…I'm sorry I insulted you!" Yumi said, a giant bead of sweat rolling down the side of he head.

"But since you find the marine wildlife I caught here so unsatisfactory, maybe I should go fishing again." Henya turned to leave.

"Wait, Henya. This unworthy one can go with you!" Kenshin grabbed a fishing pole from the side of the house and raced to catch up to Henya.

Yumi watched them go from the kitchen, mind wandering off into memories. "Makoto-san, where are you now? Have you found a new life, or are you gone forever? Or maybe…" Yumi's next thoughts were interrupted by Megumi's entrance into the kitchen. "You need something?"

"Yeah. Do you know where Kirashi-san puts the tea leaves?" Megumi asked with a crafty grin on her face.

"Tea? I already made some." Yumi told her, mentioning the steaming kettle happily whistling on top of the fire. "Just take that."

"Thanks, Yumi-nee-san." Megumi replied absent-mindedly, for she was innocently pouring some white powder into a teacup. Yumi caught a glance at that action and shuddered, feeling pity for the victim of Megumi's garlic spiked tea.

* * *

Henya and Kenshin sat by the stream, wordlessly, casting the fishing lines into the swiftly flowing water until one line snagged upon a submerged rock and then the man to which the line belonged would have to recast the line.

"Himura-san, thank you for your help." Henya said.

"Oh, it's nothing. This unworthy one was obligated to help those in need."

"Yes. This morning the police chief came to thank you for your help."

"Oro?" Kenshin said, referring to either Henya's comment or the tangled fishing line he held in his hands.

"Apparently the police department was finally able to recruit a person with some sense of responsibility and sword talent. He said his name was Sawagejou Chou. He's odd; long yellow hair—it's like a broom. He likes swords, so I gave the Koketsu to the police chief to give to him. He didn't even try to prosecute me for possession of arms, it seems like the police have given up on that sword banning act already."

"Have they?" Kenshin laughed, remembering the over-zealous policemen roaming the streets as they talked. "But there's one thing this unworthy one doesn't understand. Why did you give up your family heirlooms if it was so important to protect them in the first place?"

"I only wanted to keep them until I could make a flying machine to please my ancestors."

"Oro?! Already?!"

"When I was fighting, Kirashi told me to use old fireworks like bombs against the bandits. They worked pretty well, but I also saw the force of the explosion caused an updraft which was able to lift people into the air. Maybe I can use that force to break free of the bonds of the Earth and finally soar into the sky. So, as for now, I'm satisfied."

A fish finally caught Kenshin's line and he hauled the slippery thing out of the water. "This unworthy one is too. This unworthy one thinks this fish can satisfy Yumi's standards of gastronomy."

* * *

Kirashi sat on the edge of the porch, nervously knitting a yellow scarf when Megumi walked by with a tray of tea and crackers.

_I can't keep myself from worrying about Soujiro-kun. Megumi-chan said that he was always awake and that she would fix it, but if Megumi thinks she can do more than she is able…_

_Knitting this thing isn't helping me keep my mind off of things is it? Well, it's a good thing Yumi-chan is cooking and not me…I'll burn down the kitchen with this kind of attention span…_

"Kirashi-san." Megumi said, snapping her out of a daze. "Come inside. Yumi-san made tea."

"Oh, right. But what about Soujiro-kun?" Kirashi said, following Megumi inside to Soujiro's room.

"He can have tea too." Megumi said, winking at Kirashi. "Mou, Sou-chan…if you're going to sit up, get that other blanket to your left and cover your shoulders. It's December. You're going to get sick if you don't."

"Sorry!" Soujiro rapidly apologized, and then pulled the spare blanket over himself.

"Megumi-chan, what's that white stuff?" Kirashi said, peering into one of the teacups.

Megumi quickly snatched the cup from Kirashi's hands. "It's sugar!" she laughed nervously, filled the cup and then offered it to Soujiro. "Don't drink it right away. Wait for a few seconds. It's hot."

"Isn't it supposed to be?"

"Yes, but I can't treat you if you manage to boil your insides." She quipped as she filled the other two cups with the same concoction. "Okay, now you can drink it."

"Thank you, Megumi-san." He sipped the tea and made a face while still smiling. "It's kind of bitter."

_Bitter…?_

"Ah…it must be that the tea's too strong. Just drink it Sou-chan." Megumi said, drinking the tea herself to convince him.

As Soujiro drained the cup, he began to feel drowsy. And in a matter of seconds, he fell asleep and collapsed unto Kirashi, who was sitting next to him.

"Soujiro-kun?! Megumi-chan, what did you do to Soujiro-kun? What was in that teacup?" Kirashi shouted impatiently at her.

"It's nothing, just sleeping powder." Megumi reassured her, even as she herself was astonished by the rapidity of the medicine. "Sou-chan's fine. He's just asleep now. There aren't any side effects, so he'll be fine once he wakes up in about five hours. Don't worry, Kirashi-san, I know what I'm doing. I won't hurt Sou-chan."

"Thank goodness." Kirashi sighed, hugging the slumbering Soujiro. "Next time, don't scare me like that. You just took off five years of my life…"

"Sorry…" Then Megumi noticed that Soujiro wasn't smiling. _Thank goodness he isn't. Now I can tell whether he's feigning sleep or not. Baka Sou-chan…you didn't have to fight and get hurt. I didn't want you to get dragged into this._

"Megumi-san." Kirashi said to her with a serene look on her face. "You love him, don't you?"

"What!?" Kirashi's question came as a great shock to her and then she calmed down. "Oh, you mean like family?"

"Yes, and no."

"Eh?" _Me and Sou-chan? But…he's four years younger than I am. And Sou-chan's still a kid! Ack! I don't like boys! Okay, except for my brothers. But the rest of them are stupid idiots who like to terrorize little girls! But Sou-chan doesn't terrorize little girls…_

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking, Megumi-san. Soujiro-kun's eight, isn't he?"

"Yeah. What does that have to do with me? I'm so much older. When people get married, isn't the guy supposed to be older than the girl?"

"No, not in all cases. My husband's younger than me."

Megumi stared at Kirashi in disbelief. "No offense, but Henya-san's weird." Over at the stream, Henya sneezed.

"Maybe, but if you really love a person, it shouldn't really matter. But I know that you think you're very mature. Believe me. I see you fume when Yumi-chan belittles you. You're twelve, but you don't act it. Your ambitions and self-control isn't characteristic of a twelve-year-old. Heck, when I was twelve, I still screamed at my brothers for throwing my doll into the mud. But, after that initial shock of Soujiro-kun's injury, you had a deadly calm around you."

"Do you have a point?"

Kirashi sipped her drink before continuing. "Soujiro-kun's the same as you, don't you think? Hardships make people grow up faster; don't you think that's true? Yes, he looks and acts like he's eight, but the way he looks at the world is beyond mine, even now. 'It's unfair, but that's the way life is.' 'There're worse things in the world than itchy collars.' 'The government is made up of people; it's hopelessly corrupted.' Soujiro-kun said that. But that isn't something children blurt out in regular conversation and can still make sense. Children don't think that way; they rebel and try to change society's laws. That's why I asked you if you loved him, because you're sort of the same. Besides, don't you think I give you all enough maternal love to last a lifetime?"

"Ah, I guess. It's something to think about." She mused.

Kirashi decided to lighten the atmosphere. "Well, you can just forget about what I just said. It isn't that important. I don't mind if you didn't listen to me at all. I just want you to be happy."

* * *

March, Meiji 2 (1869)

"Mou, it's kind of hard to imagine all of you leaving so early." Kirashi complained when Kenshin announced their departure.

"This unworthy one is a rurouni. This unworthy one believes that this unworthy one imposed on your kindness too much." Kenshin said.

"But Megumi-chan and Soujiro-kun too…?"

"It's alright, Kirashi-san. I'll tell my parents about this and then we'll all come to visit you."

"Don't worry, Kirashi-san! I can't get into much trouble traveling with Megumi-san and Himura-san, so I'll be alright."

"I know…I only wish that Yanosuke-san and Ichiro-san were locked up so it wouldn't be so dangerous for you all here."

"But didn't you say you're all going to Hokkaido, Himura-san?" Henya asked. When Kenshin nodded in agreement, he said "Isn't it still kind of cold up north? Maybe you should wait a week or so when the mountain passes there melt."

"By the time we get there, the weather would be spring-like already." Kenshin replied without a trace of anxiety in his voice.

"But just in case…" Kirashi started, giving things to Kenshin, Megumi, and Soujiro. "Yumi-chan and I made some riceballs for you. And in case it is still chilly up there, I knitted a scarf; it's pretty long, so don't choke yourself with it. And I packed some uncooked rice for you."

"Kirashi-dono, you really didn't need to…Oro…" Kenshin gave up resisting when he realized that she wasn't even listening to his complaints anymore.

Kirashi was giving the doll stuffed with rice grains to Soujiro. "I think you know what's in this, right? And try not to get Megumi too attached to that doll, okay?"

"Okay. we'll see you again sometime Kirashi-san!" Soujiro waved happily while he walked down the road with Megumi and Kenshin.

"You can visit us whenever you want!" Kirashi shouted as Henya waved goodbye silently beside her.

"Himura! You better come back and visit!" Yumi shouted particularly at him. "That goes for you too! Megumi-chan, Bouya!"

And they exchanged farewells under they became a speck in each other's field of vision.

* * *

Glossary

1. Itai—Ouch; Ow; word expressing discomfort/pain.

Disclaimer: The song, Megumi was singing, _Yoru no Uta_ (Night's song) comes from Card Captor Sakura and I don't own it. (Although I wish I did, it's such a pretty song.)

The Making of the Characters (Meii-chan style )

Note: I made up the ages I couldn't find. Age in Meiji 1 (1868)

Sawagejou Chou: (Age 16 in plotline, age 10 in flashback) I based him off Uzumaki Naruto from the manga/anime Naruto. Or, at least, that was what I was aiming for in the beginning. (Maybe it has something to do with the blond hair and the headband…) So I just made him the mischievous kind of kid who always got in trouble. But instead of Iruka-sensei who identified with him, another swordsman told him that he was in charge of his own destiny. (Maybe that guy could be Shishio, but that would make it a small world indeed.) And so, Chou tasted power when he used the sword to kill people, and let's just say that that was addictive.

Kariwa Henya: (Age 23) My first impression when I had to write Henya in was "what the heck is his personality like?" Then I realized his total incompetence at fighting, (Come on, he lost to Yahiko!) although his battle strategy was very well thought out. Thus, he became some variation of a rocket scientist who had intelligence, but an utter lack of social skills and physical health. (He looks like a skeleton!)

Tachikawa Kirashi: (Age 26) At first, I only included her because I needed to make up someone called Kirashi. (It has something to do with spatulas. Don't ask.) She turned out to be the pillar of this plotline, her relationship with Henya and Yumi, her problem, etc. You get the point. Kirashi replaces Yumi (age 14) as more of a mother figure to Soujiro in this fic so that he could act more like a kid (so I can develop his character and then he wouldn't be so static!) Also, if you notice, I made Kirashi older than Henya even though their married, so that should help with the uncommon age difference in the future Sou/Meg romance.

Sadojima Houji: (Age: 25) I don't get him. I just don't. Basically, I just made him the same, except he was loyal to the Meiji government back then. Apparently, I made him some politician that the Hitokiri Battousai protected in the midst of the Bakumatsu. Actually, if you factor in all the incompetent policemen in their police department, you mind understand why Houji lost faith in the Meiji government and joined up with Shishio.

Author's Notes: I'm sorry Sou-chan! T.T (Am I going to go through the whole routine like I did in chapter 2?) Gomen Gomen! (Tsubaki: Hey, at least he's not dead like I am.)

Yay! Garlic spiked tea! Another rendition of someone's (cough Trickster's Angel cough) garlic powder cookies! Gah, evil cookies. Good thing I didn't eat one.

Body count of this fanfic (Mwahahaha! War of arbitration!): squad of policemen murdered by Shishio; band of bandits murdered by Shishio…that's all…I have a feeling most of the casualties will be of random bandits and mercenaries…

Preview of the next chapter:

Tsubaki: So you make me do this too…Anyhow…Soujiro and co. are going to Hokkaido. And you know who is in Hokkaido right? Hey! Remember where I come from?

Slight Imperfections: Hey! I remember you reviewing before! I might go to Okaton next year too (That is, if I have time. ; and I get a job to get more money to but more stuff. ;; and if I do any decent art to put up in the Artshow ;;;)

Nanu-kun: I'm glad you enjoyed this fic! I hope you keep reading even though this mini plotline is done.

Lord Cirenmas: Huh? Good point about what? Sou/Mi? I also don't write Sou/Mi because Misao's hard to keep in character. (And she would get on my nerves.)

Sekihoutai: Yay! You made a LONG review! When I drew young Chou, I saw Naruto. (Blond Hair, just not like a broom.) And…it doesn't really matter who spoke with Chou. Just not Battousai, cause at that time (1862) Kenshin was…12. He was still with Hiko! You can just pretend it was Shishio, but in essence, it doesn't really matter.

Tenken's Lover: See! He's not dead! (Grins) Besides, what's the point of saving the rest of the characters if Sou-chan's not here? As for the injured part, quote my friend: "You need to instill sympathy in your readers!" (Okay, not in those exact words, but the meaning's the same.)

AngeloftheDeceased: Ah, the wonderful-ness of AU. However, I try to keep my stories as close to Meiji Japan as possible. (So far the list of conceivable pairings include Sou/Mi, Sou/Kao, Sou/Meg and Sou/Yumi)


	10. Spring

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 10-Spring

Hokkaido; April, Meiji 2 (1869)

The pale spring day was still chilly, despite the bright sun shining overhead for a few hours now. There was a very good explanation for the sub-average temperatures; they were in the mountains of northern Japan.

Not to say that Hokkaido was a frozen abyss. Conversely, the mountain villages were already filled with people doing their mundane work: shopping, cleaning, and cooking…Even the local farmers had plenty to do as small, tender green shoots sprung out from the frozen ground. Yes, the mountain villages of Hokkaido were filled with bustling activity, and as they would later find out, an icy storm of hatred that continues to rage even as glorious rays of sunshine melt the snowy mountaintops.

* * *

"Ken-san. Are you sure you're fine?" Megumi asked the poor rurouni, who was now turning an interesting purple-blue from the cold.

"This unworthy one's fine. Don't worry about this unworthy one. What about Soujiro? He looks blue…" Kenshin was unable to speak any further as a series of sneezes overtook him.

"Are you sure, Himura-san? I think you're referring to the color of my shirt…" And indeed, contrary to Kenshin's suspicions, Soujiro was fine.

"Gomen. Gomen." He grinned a silly rurouni smile to accompany his apology, but then he became alert as he became serious. Without any warning, he took off, leaving Soujiro to drag Megumi as they pursued Kenshin through the snowy streets.

When Soujiro and Megumi caught up to Kenshin, they found him standing amidst the semi-ruined houses on the outskirts of the village. "Himura-san…why are we here?" Soujiro asked, confused.

"This unworthy one thought this unworthy one heard something, like someone crying…" Kenshin shook his head as Megumi stared at him oddly. "It must be this unworthy one's imagination, then. Looks like there's no one here…This unworthy one guesses we should go then…"

"Wait. I hear it too. It sounds like it's coming from that alleyway." Soujiro said as he pointed to the shadowy crevice between two rundown buildings.

* * *

_This is bad…Why did I ever decide to go by myself…?_

Haru sat at the end of the alleyway, arms pulling her legs up to her chest, quietly sobbing. She could hear the faint padding of footsteps grow louder, and tried to smother her own cries with her long ebony hair. _If only I can stop crying, then I wouldn't be found!_She flinched as someone touched her arm.

"Hey…Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

"What's wrong?"

"I…I'm…" Haru tried to choke out the words hampered by her tears.

"You're…?"

"I'm lost!" Haru said forcefully and then dissolved into another round of uncontrollable sobbing.

* * *

Kenshin was capable of being completely calm when dealing with and random highway bandits and Shinsengumi trying to kill him, but when faced with the crying little girl in the alleyway, he began to panic when she continued to cry in spite of all he had tried to do to soothe her. It was only when he realized that his skin really was blue and was scaring her when he let Soujiro and Megumi to deal with her. Fortunately for Kenshin, Soujiro and Megumi were able to calm Haru down enough so that they could help her.

And so, they were walking casually along the left side of the road, Haru quite happy with her newfound friends, when they heard voices in the distance. This only made her happier, and she began to race the rest of her distance, slipping out of her sandals in the process.

"Waaah!" A child's voice cried as he reached for the tiny windmill toy that was held slightly out of his reach by an older boy. "It's mine!"

"Hey, Tasuke. Please don't tease Gorou…" A monk, sweeping the steps of the temple tried to pacify the two children. And to no avail—Gorou still cried for his toy, Tasuke continued to tease him. This continued until an older girl ran over and bonked them both lightly on the head.

"Tasuke! Quit teasing Gorou! Gorou, quit crying over nothing! We're supposed to be working!" As the two children scurried off into the fields, she sighed. "You too, Oshou-sama! (1) When you're angry, you have to harden your heart and get mad! You're way too nice…"

"I guess you're right, but I'm not good at getting angry. I'm sorry." The monk apologized to her.

"Well, I guess that's the way you are." She smiled and ran off into the fields.

"Tsubaki!" Haru yelled happily as she flung herself at the older girl, now known as Tsubaki.

"Haru! Where have you been? What happened to your shoes? You're covered with dirt! Go wash yourself up!" Only then did she turn her attention to Soujiro and the others standing at the gate. "Oh! Welcome! Are you here to see Anji-oshou?"

* * *

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing Haru-chan home again." Anji told them, pouring hot tea and handing it to Kenshin. "I was afraid something like this would happen."

"Oro?" Kenshin's skin was returning to its normal color, thanks to the warm atmosphere inside Juuraku temple. "This unworthy one can see that you would worry about her, but Haru-dono seems to be a bright girl, once we found her, she immediately showed us the direction to your temple. It wasn't like she was lost at all."

"Himura-san. There might be something you are not aware of that is happening here." Anji said solemnly.

"Oro?"

"Never mind. I didn't mean to burden you with my challenges. But I do thank you for returning Haru-chan to the temple. Why don't you stay here for a while before traveling again? Don't worry," Anji said as he noticed Kenshin was about to refuse, "It's no trouble, really. And Soujiro-kun and Megumi-chan can make friends with the other children here."

"If you insist…then this unworthy one guesses we can impose on your kindness for a little longer."

* * *

"Oshou-sama! Look!" Yoshi, a boy around Soujiro's age pulled the monk over and pointed a patch of disturbed snow on the ground. "Look! Ho-to-ke-sa-ma. Hotoke-sama! (2)" He read aloud the hiragana characters written in the snow.

"Yes. That's right! Good job, Yoshi-kun." Anji lauded the boy while patting him on the head. "If we all pray to Hotoke-sama, our wishes will come true."

"Oshou-sama? If we pray to Hotoke-sama, will I get taller?"

"I'm sure you will."

"Will spring come faster?" Haru added.

"Of course!"

"Then, if we all pray, will Oshou-sama marry Tsubaki-nee-chan?"

"Uh…"

"Let's go pray so that Tsubaki-nee-chan marries Oshou-sama!" The four younger children said happily in unison, and then went off into the temple.

"What…?" Megumi said, flabbergasted at the children's enthusiasm.

"Well, it's just another one of the games that they come up with. They say that if I marry Oshou-sama, then we can really be a family. I wouldn't worry too much about it." Tsubaki said, heading back to the temple when something caught her eye. "Oh…I still have the present you gave me, Oshou-sama!" she shouted, waving the beaded rosary around her wrist in the air. "I'll never take it off!"

Anji just smiled as he watched Tsubaki race into the temple.

Meanwhile, Soujiro squatted in the snow, tracing the hiragana characters with his fingers. "Ne, Anji-san, can you teach me to write?"

"Huh?" Anji turned around in surprise. "I thought you knew how…"

"Megumi-san has been trying to teach me, but I'm not very good." He admitted with a laugh. "I was wondering if you can spare Megumi-san the trouble…"

"I guess I can try. Let's see, if you could give me that twig there…"

* * *

"Haru-chan!" Tsubaki shouted at the little girl, for she was wandering off too far from the rest of the children. "Come back here! You know better than to wander off! What's gotten into you? Do you want to get lost again?"

The little girl didn't reply, but quickly coughed into her sleeve.

The older girl placed her hands on her hips and made a chastising look on her face. "Haru-chan, stop pretending to be sick. You can't just be lazy and make Yoshi-kun and Tasuke-kun do your work too. We all need you to take care of the temple. Both of us know that Hotoke-sama protects us from sickness and harm. Nothing's happened to us ever since Oshou-sama took us in!"

"But something did happen, Tsubaki-nee-chan."

"Eh?" Tsubaki was going to start another rant about the virtues of hard work when she saw the frightened look on Haru's doleful and desolate looking gaze. "What happened?" She asked, even though she was quite sure that her world, despite her feigned ignorance, was a hateful place.

"Oshou-sama asked me to buy some tofu three days ago. But, there were a bunch of kids that were trying to chase me out of town. I asked the grownups there to stop them, but they wouldn't listen to me. I eventually lost them by running into an alleyway, but I couldn't get anything that Oshou-sama wanted."

"Well, you wouldn't get anything done if you just run away. Stand up for yourself, alright?" She told the younger girl, explaining it to her with simplicity.

"But I'm scared…"

Tsubaki sighed with annoyance. Where was Oshou-sama when you needed him to restore faith in the little ones? "Haru-chan. Remember the time last year when you where afraid of climbing the cherry trees because you were scared you would fall?"

Haru nodded her head slowly, confusion swimming in circles within her head.

"Remember how you saw the baby birds in the spring try to fly on their own?"

"They all fell down. And it looked really painful."

Tsubaki had to agree with that point. "Yes, but didn't it make you so happy to see them fly around so easily when the flowers were blooming? You were so happy that you forgot that you were afraid of heights and you climbed the tallest cherry blossom tree in the Juuraku temple grounds to see them fly. Maybe this time, you need to be like those baby birds to have the courage to be confident of yourself."

"But, still…"

"Don't worry, it'll take time. And you'll be braver if we're all together, right?" Tsubaki said optimistically as she grasped Haru's hand and led her back to the other children. "Come on, you'll be happier working with Yoshi-kun and Tasuke-kun than you'll be if you are by yourself."

"Hai! (3) Tsubaki-nee-chan!" And so, the two children raced towards the temple fields.

They left the scene too early to notice a group of men walking by. As they were walking, a fledging falcon flew from the frost-covered cherry trees. After a few seconds of freedom, it plummeted down towards the footpath below where the men were walking.

The bird was promptly crushed.

* * *

Soon afterwards, the children were playing in the courtyard, making white temples from what was left of the melting snow. Kenshin looked on, too un-accustomed to the northern climate to frolic about with the children. It disappointed him greatly, and he had silently promised himself that he would, once he got accustomed to the climate, or when it got warm, whichever came first. Megumi was chastising, to no avail, the children to stop smothering themselves with snow and put on some more clothes. As Megumi was so ardently watching the children, Anji, Tsubaki, and Soujiro hovered over a copy of a Hiragana primer, which Anji and Tsubaki had so used to teach Soujiro. Anji had the primary purpose of teaching, and Soujiro practiced the lettering by scratching on the undisturbed snow. Needless to say, Tsubaki was only there to show off her own writing ability with great looping strokes in the pristine white snow.

"Soujiro-kun, did you see my writing? You need to make your letters look more rounded, they look like they've been squashed…" Tsubaki said enthusiastically, while drawing another character into the snow. "See? Isn't it pretty?"

"Hey, Tsubaki-nee-chan," Yoshi said, "Now you're acting like my older sister whenever this guy came to our house a long time ago. And then after that, she got married to him. Are you going to marry Soujiro-kun then, Tsubaki-nee-chan?"

Megumi stared at the boy, dumbfounded. What exactly was going on in his head? She wondered.

Tsubaki was not pleased, to say the least. She was rather flustered, and she was glaring rather venomously at Yoshi. "Stop lying Yoshi! I thought you wanted me to marry Oshou-sama! I can't marry every single person that you say I'm going to!"

Yoshi shied away behind the snow temple. "Tsubaki-nee-chan is really scary when she's angry." Haru and Tasuke nodded their heads in acquiescence.

Meanwhile, Tsubaki was still fuming, glaring in the general direction of Yoshi. Everyone gawked at her sudden outburst, unable to penetrate the thick silence that settled in the courtyard.

That is, until there was a knock at the temple gate and then some voices calling "Anji. Anji, are you here?", and three men came inside. One of them was elderly, toddling along the path with a knobby-looking cane. The two other men who flanked him were in contrast, tall and burly. Anji stood up immediately to greet them.

"Ohayo Gozaimasu. (4) Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Mayor?" Anji asked congenially.

"Hmm…" The mayor glanced around at the children, and then Kenshin and said. "It's best if we discuss thing matter alone."

"Ah, yes." Anji slid open the temple door and ushered the three men inside before disappearing into the temple himself.

* * *

After Anji had disappeared within the temple, curiosity rose once again among the children, as Tsubaki's anger had waned considerably. It was Yoshi's idea to eavesdrop on the adults through a narrow crack made by the sliding door. Although Tsubaki had chided them for their childish antics, she had given up on suppressing her own inquisitiveness and joined the other children along the crack in the door.

The conversation was albeit muffled by the screen door, but it was possible to hear the conversation taking place inside.

"Leave the village?" Anji's startled voice could be heard.

"Yes, you've heard of Haibutsu Kishaku. (5) We met and decided to obey Meiji policy by tearing down the temple."

"Wait a minute." Anji's voice could be heard again. "It doesn't matter what happens to me, but what about the children? They lost their parents in the Boshin War. They don't have anywhere else to live . . ."

"Of course they'll leave. They have to leave. Tsubaki's father, the old mayor, and his followers fought for the Bakufu. Our standing with the government is perilously low. And also, now you're being associated with that swordsman…this temple is a danger to the village." The mayor explained.

"I understand."

* * *

Sensing that the conversation was over, Tsubaki and the children scurried away from the door as the three men left. Anji watched the three men depart with a sense of sadness until Haru's voice brought him back to reality.

"Oshou-sama. Is the temple really going to be knocked down?"

"I'm sorry, Oshou-sama." Tsubaki apologized. "This is all my dad's fault."

Anji quickly shook his head. "Don't apologize. I know what your father wanted was to bring peace more quickly. There's nothing for you all to worry about. Cheer up. Your parents would want you to be happy. That's what I want too. We're not going to cause trouble for the village by staying here. What do you think about moving out and finding a new place to live? Where should we go?"

"I want Tokyo! Tokyo's the best!"

"I want to go to Kyoto!"

"I want Hakodate!"

"Baka! Hakodate's in the middle of the fighting!"

As Anji listens to their opinions, he gazes up at the statue in the middle of the temple. _Hotoke-sama, such terrible things have happened to these children. Somehow, let them have a better future…Please watch over them…_

* * *

Not eavesdropping on the conversation that sent on in the temple, Soujiro was outside near the gate writing in the snow. As the three men happened to walk past, he heard snippets of their discussion.

"…Don't you think you're going a little easy on them?"

"It's just a run-down temple, and monk and a bunch of dirty kids. You can do whatever you want with them, and no one's going to complain…"

After they had exited the temple, Soujiro stared at their retreating backs. _These people…they're planning something…_

* * *

Glossary:

1. Oshou-sama – Monk

2. Hotoke-sama – Buddha

3. Hai – Yes; yeah; responding in the affirmative.

4. Ohayo gozaimasu – Good Morning

5. Haibutsu Kishaku – The Anti-Buddhist movement.

Author's notes: I got my hair cut! 14 inches off! Now no one can recognize me! (Of course, now I can hardly do anything with it either…) But, yeah, school started, and my classes are starting to kill me, so I can't update as often…why won't AP Government give me a break...?

Yay! The first installment in Haibutsu Kishaku! I am going to have fun making all the character's different personalities! And even if they are OOC, I have the excuse that it's a very different plotline! :D (Darn, took away the underscore symbols too.) On the other hand, I was trying to follow the manga for most of the fanfic, but I stuck in a few anime scenes in it too because I thought it was cute. You know, there really aren't enough fanfics based around Anji even though he is quite a redeemable character.

Tsubaki: Ack! What's going to happen to me?! Am I going to burn to death or what?! You're so evil, Meii-chan…

Meii-chan: Thank you. Ahahahaha :P

And a thanks to you, my faithful reviewers!

Sekihoutai: (Did you mean to review the first chapter??? Gah! Gomen! Sorry for being so nitpicky!) Do you still think the beginning's dull? Okay, that was a rhetorical question…maybe I should just label it one big prologue or something…And…nope! It's not the end! (The end is when I finally get tired of writing this fanfic and people aren't reviewing!)

Lord Cirenmas: Again, not much I can say in response to your review, but aren't you glad I wrote more? (Please say yes.)

Babygirl: I'm not doing the romance part yet. But bear with me, time passes swiftly in a fanfic.

Okay! All you people reading this! Review!..................................

.......please?


	11. Departure

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 11– Departure

After the visit from the mayor the days spent at the Juuraku temple became more peaceful. Kenshin was nowhere to be seen, and it was concluded that he couldn't be accustomed to the arctic climate. This didn't bother the children, who were playing merrily in the fields of half-melted snow. That is, until Haru began to cry again.

Tsubaki shook her head as she hurried over to the girl's side. "Mou, now what is it, Haru?"

"Akane-chan…I can't find her…"

"Akane?" A perplexed Soujiro said out of confusion.

"A doll." Tasuke whispered to Soujiro under his breath, so that Haru wouldn't overhear and say he insulting her friend. "She's obsessed with that thing, she always carries it around with her. I think Haru-chan would _die_ if she really lost Akane-chan. It's kind of pathetic, to rely so much on something, someone…"

Soujiro thought about this. "Is it?" and then he shifted his attention to the present predicament of the disappearance of Akane-chan.

Yoshi was currently berating Haru on her attachment to material objects. "Haru-chan, you just need to let go of your doll now. You're five already. Gorou we can understand, he's a baby. You're too old to drag around toy s like that. What would Oshou-sama say? To get into heaven we're supposed to give up important things like Akane-chan."

"Akane-chan's not a THING!"

Yoshi's explanation did nothing to pacify Haru. If anything, it only made the little girl cry more. Megumi, feeling sorry for the girl, commanded Yoshi to stop chiding her. "Yoshi-kun, you don't need to worry about Haru-chan and her doll. Just leave her alone."

"Fine." Yoshi conceded until the intense glare of Megumi, who, needless to say, towered over him. He walked away farther into the field. The other children scattered away, and Haru ran into the temple to tell Anji that Yoshi was being mean, until only Soujiro and Tsubaki were left standing there.

"I kind of feel bad that I keep telling Haru to stop whining." Tsubaki said to no one in particular, forgetting that Soujiro was standing there behind her.

"Why?"

Tsubaki nearly jumped after hearing his voice. "Oh, it's just you… I guess it's because we're all telling her to let go of something important. She really loves that doll." Soujiro remained silent, awaiting a more comprehendible answer. "Haru-chan's mother made her that doll, just before she died. And she used one of her red hair ribbons to make the doll's sash. The reason Haru-chan can't lose it is because that's the only thing she has to remind her of her mother. Sometimes I think that I should try not to be so mean to her, but…I can't help it."

"Tsubaki-san, we should start looking for it. Tasuke-san said that Haru-san would _die_ without her doll."

Merriment returned to Tsubaki's eyes as she spun around on her heels and playfully swatted him on the head. "Sou-kun. You take things too literally, you know that?"

"Areh?"

Tsubaki walked away, giggling. Yoshi watched them from a distance, and scowled. After Tsubaki was out of earshot, Yoshi came up to Soujiro, looking more serious than normal.

"Ah! Hello, Yoshi-san." Soujiro greeted him amiably as he noticed Yoshi's approach.

"Don't be so polite, Soujiro-kun." He said nonchalantly. "Why did you have to come and mess up everything?"

"Areh?" _mess up everything?_ "Did I do something wrong?" No matter how much he racked his brain, Soujiro couldn't think of anything that he had done to offend Yoshi. Maybe it was just his presence at the temple, or…

Yoshi hesitated to answer, as he realized that he what he had just said was spiteful. "Well, it's not you. I sort of meant Megumi-nee-chan. She stopped me from telling Haru-chan the truth. If you thought I was angry with you, I'm sorry."

"Why did Megumi-san make you upset. She was just protecting Haru-chan." Of course, she was protecting Haru from Yoshi, but Soujiro disregarded that fact. "But, what is this 'truth' that you said? Is it really that important?"

"It's the most important thing in the world!" Yoshi declared zealously. "The truth is that we'll all die at the end of our life and be reborn as something else, depending on how good we've been. Megumi doesn't know about the destiny that awaits Haru and everyone else. If Haru-chan loves her doll too much, she'll never go to heaven. She'll end up being reborn as a lower life-form, like a bird or something. I'm actually being the one who's protecting Haru-chan!"

Sometime during Yoshi's long diatribe, Soujiro's thoughts had drifted asunder, contemplating on the words spoken by Yoshi. _So, is the way of being truly good to let go of the people you cherish most? Well, if Yoshi-san believes it's really that important…_

"Soujiro! Soujiro! Are you there?" Yoshi waved his hand in front of Soujiro's face a few times. Soujiro laughed sheepishly as he apologized for being inattentive. "Well, I'm only trying to say that it isn't really your fault, but Tsubaki-nee-chan's for being so…strange."

"Areh?" Soujiro was thoroughly confused by the change in subject. Wasn't he just complaining about Megumi-san and Haru-chan?

"Tsubaki-nee-chan is acting really strange lately, so I think that she wants to get married to you. I wanted to tell you to go away, but that's not what we want."

Soujiro turned away from Yoshi as he began to walk away. "So, is that what you want? For me to leave?"

"No! It isn't!" Yoshi panicked. "I only wanted to keep our family together. I don't want my other Onee-chan to leave again. (1) But you're our family too!"

And though Yoshi couldn't see him, Soujiro smiled.

"Arigatou, Yoshi-san."

A bittersweet smile.

"Megumi-nee-san!" Tasuke's voice caused her to look up from her work. "Megumi-nee-san, are these the right ones?" he asked eagerly, showing her a handful of leafy herbs.

Megumi looked carefully at them and then answered with a bright smile, "They look alright to me! Good job Tasuke-kun! Now give them to Anji-oshou!" Then, she moved on, picking the wild herbs for the monk. It was when she stood up and stretched that she saw the sun setting in the west, spilling scattered scarlet light.

"Anji-oshou, do you think we should go now?"

The monk stood up from his work as well. "Alright, I guess I lost track of the time. Tasuke-kun, Haru-chan! Come put your herbs in the basket! We're going home!"

Tasuke bounded quickly over to Anji's side, while Haru came much later. As they trekked back to the temple together, Megumi whispered to Haru. "Don't worry, I'm sure Akane-chan is okay."

"Who's worried?" she said stubbornly.

Megumi sighed. Apparently the little girl didn't need to be fussed over like she had thought. Then, something in the forest made her stop in her tracks.

"Megumi-nee-chan?" Tasuke side hesitantly. "Why did you stop?"

"Oh, I just realized I forgot something. You go ahead, I'll catch up." She said quickly, and the headed off in the direction that she came. She barely heard Anji telling her that he'll place a light outside of the temple so she wouldn't get lost.

As soon as Megumi had cleared their field of vision, she dashed deeper into the woods towards her quarry. The back of the pale azure shirt was unmistakably his, and she was pleased that he had not noticed her rather raucous jaunt through the undergrowth.

"Sou-chan!" she embraced him briefly from behind before scolding him. "What are you doing out here? Do you want to get a cold like Ken-san? Come on!"

"I'm just looking for Haru-chan's doll, that's all." He continued to search through the shrubbery despite Megumi's protests that it was detrimental to his health.

"Listen, Sou-chan. Haru can live past one night without the doll, alright. She said it herself that she isn't worried." Well, if medical threats weren't enough…

Soujiro continued to refute her pleas. "Megumi-san, do you think that a person is able to say she's alright, even though she's really dying inside?"

"Of course, but—" Megumi ceased to speak as soon as she heard a twig snap behind her.

"What are you two doing out here? There might be wolves around at night."

The unknown person's familiar voice calmed both Megumi and Soujiro. "Ken-san! Don't you have a cold?"

The rurouni fidgeted nervously. "Well, not anymore, Megumi-dono. This unworthy one has decided to leave before this unworthy one get sick again. And, this unworthy one doesn't think this unworthy one's staying here will help Anji-oshou any more than if this unworthy one doesn't."

"Then, we'll be going with you, right? Himura-san?" Soujiro asked tentatively.

"No. This unworthy one requests that you stay with Anji-oshou. He's better at taking care of you than this unworthy one can be. This unworthy one doesn't want to drag you two into the chaos that pursues this unworthy one." And then he turned to leave.

And then he came back.

Kenshin took something out from his sleeve, as offered it to Soujiro. "This blade, is the one you used to protect Megumi-dono and Kirashi-dono last winter. So if you ever need to protect the people important to you, this unworthy one gives this to you."

Soujiro took it.

"Keep in mind, Soujiro. This unworthy one is hoping that you'll never have to unsheathe that knife, but things happen. Things that should never happen, but, that's the way it is, you know right? And, Megumi-san, this unworthy one believes that you'll grow up to be a great doctor."

"Does it have to be this way?" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Don't be sad, Megumi-dono. This unworthy one is sure we'll meet someday again. Until then, Sayonara." And then, Kenshin went to the west, where all that could be seen of him was a dark silhouette against the scarlet sunset, until that silhouette became a speck, and then disappeared.

When Kenshin could no longer be seen, Megumi collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Megumi-san…" Soujiro was planning to hug her, but Megumi had stood up so quickly, she knocked him over.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" She apologized quickly, one hand helping Soujiro up from the ground, the other wiping her tears from her now damp cheeks. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to knock you over!"

"Areh? Aren't you still sad about Himura-san? You got over that too quickly…"

"I guess, but crying won't bring Ken-san back." She noted the dimming light around them and pulled Soujiro in the direction of the temple. "Come on, let's go back."

"Megumi-nee-chan! Soujiro-nii-chan!" Haru rushed over happily towards the two older children, and held up a doll. "I found Akane-chan! I didn't realize I left her in the kitchen yesterday and Tsubaki-nee-chan just found her!"

"That's great, Haru-chan!"

"Ah, Megumi-chan, Soujiro-kun. I was wondering what took you so long." Anji said as they walked into the temple. "Do you know that Himura-san left just now, and that he wants you two to stay here for a while? Why don't you two get something to eat with the other children, I'm going to the waterfalls tonight."

"There are waterfalls around here?" Soujiro asked inquisitively.

"Yes. If you go out of the temple and follow a forest path on your right, it'll lead you too the waterfalls. Maybe I should take you all there someday."

"Can you take us now?" Yoshi piped up. "I promise we'll be good!"

Anji laughed amiably. "I'm sure you will be, but I'm planning on staying there overnight, so I wouldn't be able to take you tonight. Maybe in the future. Okay? Now I expect you all to listen to Tsubaki-chan and Megumi-chan while I'm gone."

It was very late, and very little moonlight filtered into the temple where the children were sleeping. Or rather, where the children were supposed to be sleeping. Soujiro, laid awake in the futon, thoughts preventing him from drifting into dreamland.

Yoshi's musings kept on playing in his head, making Soujiro doubt whether he really should have stayed here at all. After lying awake for three hours, he got up from the futon and silently made his way over to a large table, where he got a piece of parchment and a small brush and began to write in rounded hiragana:

_Anji-oshou, Megumi-san, minna-san, (2)_

_I'm sorry that I have left you without really telling you, but I think that you'll all be happier when I leave. Don't worry about me, because I'll find Himura-san, so I won't be alone. And please don't blame yourselves because of I'm leaving, because staying here has really made me very happy, but I don't want to break up your family. I'm very thankful to know all of you. So, goodbye._

_Seta Soujiro_

It took him about an hour to write it all out on the parchment. Some of the characters were blotted out with ink where he couldn't figure out what the characters looked like. Soujiro hoped that they would still be able to read it, considering the ink on the bottom half of the letter was covered with water.

Salty water.

Tears.

It was then that Soujiro realized that he did want to go away and be alone. _I'm not even sure where Himura-san is. I don't want to leave Megumi-san and Anji-oshou and all the other people here that are my friends. I don't know why, but, something is stopping me from just leaving now. _

_"I wanted to tell you to go away"_

_No, I have to leave. I already know I'm no longer welcome here. If I stay, I'll break the gentle harmony of the family here._

_"Is the way of being truly good to let go of the people you cherish most?"_

_Even though they are my friends…I think they'll be happier if I'm not here. Maybe…maybe I'll can be happy not if the people I cherish are with me, but if they're happy, even if they're not with me…_

And with new resolution, Soujiro put on his regular clothes and went out, being sure to be silent not to wake any of the others. He had just come out of the temple grounds, when he saw a group of men approach the temple. He quietly moved into the shadows of the trees when he realized who the people were.

They were the same two men that had accompanied the mayor when he visited a week ago. But now, they carried clubs with them, and while one carried a large ceramic jar, the other brandished a stick wrapped in an oil soaked cloth, that was burning brightly in the darkness of the night.

Soujiro recalled the conversation the men had when they had left the temple earlier.

_"It's just a run-down temple, and monk and a bunch of dirty kids. You can do whatever you want with them, and no one's going to complain…"_

Soujiro glanced at the flame, then at the large ceramic jug. _If they're carrying oil…then…they're trying to burn down the temple! Anji-oshou has to know this is happening!_

As soon as the men had disappeared, Soujiro bolted for the forest path towards the waterfall.

Tsubaki awoke to the smell of burning wood. _That's strange, it can't be morning yet…and the temple feels abnormally warm now…_Tsubaki forced open her eyes. A room of advancing flames surrounded her. She shook awake, Megumi, who slept beside her.

"Megumi-chan! Wake up!"

"I'm up! Why did you—oh…" the flaming room mesmerized Megumi. "I'm not asleep am I?"

"Who cares? Help me wake up the others? Where's Soujiro-kun? Ah! How do we get out of here?"

"Anji-oshou! Tasukete!" Soujiro yelled when he caught the first glimpse of water. "Anji-oshou!" When he got to the bank of the waterfall, he tripped and fell into the water. The disturbance of the water was enough to make Anji stop meditating.

"Soujiro-kun, what are you doing there?" Anji asked, surprised, as he helped him out of the water.

"They're going to burn the temple…everyone is still inside."

"What?" Anji doubted what Soujiro was saying was true, but then he caught a whiff of smoke in the air. Anji somehow climbed up to the top of the cascade where he could see the temple, and what he saw there shocked the disbelief out of him.

Without any further words exchanged, Anji began rushing towards the temple.

_Tsubaki, Tasuke, Gorou…the children!_

Anji raced up the temple steps, not knowing what awaited him as he came into the temple grounds. Something very hard hit him in the back of his head, and he could feel his blood oozing out onto the pavement. And he also heard voices.

"All right, that's all of them. Go tell the Mayor." The sound of retreating footsteps was heard. Once again, when Soujiro was coming up towards the temple, he met the two men, and was forced to hide in the foliage.

But as soon as they had moved past, he scrambled up the stone steps toward the temple. Soujiro had almost tripped over Anji as he dashed through the gate.

"Anji-oshou! Are you alright!?" Soujiro asked quickly.

"Save the children…" Anji said weakly.

The heat inside the temple was unbearable; the children huddle together in the middle of the temple, for the frame of the temple was burning and threatening to collapse. The smoke from the burning wood choked them, burned their lungs like invisible flame.

It only became worse when Tsubaki tried to soothe the younger children.

"We'll be alright, you'll see. Hotoke-sama will save us, somehow." Even Tsubaki doubted her own words.

"No, it'll be over soon enough, we'll all die and—"

"Yoshi! Don't say that!"

The flames only burned brighter, and then they heard Soujiro call for them.

"Sou-chan! We're over here!" Megumi shouted, partly relieved to see him still alive, partly worried to know that he was trapped inside as well.

"We have to get out now! Just go over there." Soujiro pointed behind him. Tsubaki immediately took Haru's hand and hurried over, followed by Tasuke, Soujiro and Megumi.

When they reached the outdoors, they all breathed a sigh of relief. "And there we were talking about how we're all going to die…How silly of me."

"Maybe, we could have gotten out sooner, but we were too afraid to look for an exit?" Haru said timidly. "Thank you Sou-nii!"

"Megumi-san, you need to hurry to check on Anji-oshou. He's bleeding."

"Oh, right." Megumi looked around before spotting Anji, who was passed out at the gate. "Hey! Where's Yoshi-kun?" And she was right; Yoshi was nowhere to be seen.

Tsubaki gasped as she looked at the burning temple. "You don't suppose he's still in there?" Something blurred past her. "No! Sou-kun! You can't go back in there! The roof will collapse at any second! Don't go back in there!"

The atmosphere inside the temple was now stifling hot; the entire framework of the building, including the vertical columns that supported the roof, was aflame. The burning smoke and the scorching heat of the air caused it to present a wavy, distorted image of the interior, much to the annoyance of Soujiro. Luckily, he was able to find Yoshi quickly, who was leaning against the bronze sculpture, absentmindedly gazing at the flames licking at the metal of the statue.

"Yoshi-san!" Soujiro yelled, and then quickly subsided to a series of coughs after inhaling a large volume of fumes. "Have you gone mad? You're going to die if you don't get out of here!"

Still, Yoshi paid Soujiro no attention. He finally snapped out of his daze when the burning tatami mat beneath his feet began to singe his bare feet. Yoshi winced, but stood there still. As it was evident that he was not going to move, Soujiro had no choice but to drag Yoshi out, even though Yoshi was reluctant to move.

By now, the temple had begun to tremble menacingly, and large chunks of burning wood plummeted from the ceiling like fiery hailstones. As they neared the outside, a wooden beam suddenly gave way and fell almost on top of Yoshi. Because of the proximity of the beam to the boy, Soujiro believed that the column would squash Yoshi, rushed to his side to pull him out of the way and slipped, resulting only in trapping his left leg under the beam.

The only thing that prevented him from screaming as the flame seared through the hakama to his skin was the smoke, which would immobilize him if he breathed in too much. After a few seconds, Yoshi was able to pull him out, and the beam crashed through the floor to the ground below. The embers that remained embedded within the fabric was put out from the moisture that still remained in Soujiro's sleeves from the time he fell into the waterfall. Yoshi waited patiently until the embers all died out, and then helped Soujiro out of the temple.

"Thank you, Yoshi-san. But, why are you helping me get out now when you wanted to stay inside?" Soujiro asked as they made their way towards the exit, where Tsubaki was waiting anxiously.

"It's not your destiny to die here." Was his simple reply, and it was all Soujiro heard before he reached the outside, and collapsed.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly as Soujiro woke up, blinking, confused as to why he was outside. Then he saw the leveled temple and felt a bandage wrapped around his ankle, and all made sense. However, there was a constant monotonous chant of "Namu Amida Buddha" somewhere off in the distance. Curious, he stood up, and hopped towards the direction of the chanting.

Haru was laying bright red flowers on a grave.

Soujiro looked around, and noticed Yoshi was not there. "Areh? Where did Yoshi-san go?" he asked Megumi. Yoshi couldn't have died, he was hardly singed!

Megumi looked at the mound of freshly tilled dirt and said: "Usually, it's the smoke of a fire that kills, not the actual fire. I was afraid that you would be lying under this earth too." She embraced him and buried her face into Soujiro's hair.

They fell silent.

Anji's prayer continued.

Glossary:

1. Onee-chan –older sister (I should have defined this long ago, but it kept slipping my mind.)

2. minna-san –everyone

Author's Notes: Oh, dear. Megumi has gone Kaoru. Yup, Kenshin just has to leave at exactly the wrong moment. Again!

So…I have killed off Yoshi. I didn't have much of a personality for him, just that he's the "destiny" person in this fanfic. It's like, if we're going to die anyway, we might as well give up living, right? But just him dying is better than the whole lot of them dying right?

Ack!!! Too many projects I have to finish before winter break! My teachers are trying to cram, I just know it.

Thank you, and don't forget to please review!

Babygirl: Well, I can't make it romantic yet, so be patient while the overlying plot unfolds.

Smiling Blue-clad Warrior's Obsessor: Thank you! (Although you probably hate me now for killing off Yoshi.)

Cathy Mark: Arigatou Gozaimasu! Do you mean my other fic? I sort of abandoned it…(smacks self) Baka Meii-chan! You promised you'll finish it! …-.-;;;

Lord Cirenmas: Thank you for reviewing again! (But I still wish you'll say more so I can have another perspective on this fanfic.)

Erica Madarine: Still…but isn't little Soujiro cute?

Damsel in Distress: (see above, and:) maybe ten years was a bit too long…

Soujiro's Lover: Although I don't see any way I can sue you, since I don't know who you are…keep in mind Soujiro's a year younger than Sano. (If you're thinking height, then…)

sekihoutai: My eyes popped out at the length of your review. (haha, not really. But that's longer than what I write for my teacher evaluations…) But, you probably hate me now for killing off Yoshi…but at least the other kids were fine! If it weren't for all those projects I have to do…X(


	12. Behemoth

Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 12—Behemoth

It was a few days after Yoshi's passing. The Juurakuu temple had burned to the ground, memories of the life before scattered like ashes to the wind. The small mountain village, once home, was now inhospitable towards Anji and the children. They were forced to find a new home elsewhere. And so, they journeyed, wandering aimlessly along rustic roads. These roads eventually led them to the prefecture of Choushuu, the heart of rebellion of the Bakumatsu.

The southern forests were already verdant and thriving in the warm sunshine. Stands of trees loomed over the path, draining dappled white flecks of light to the floor below. The ground smelled fresh as if after a cleansing rainstorm, and the damp earth yielded small puddles of water whenever it was trod upon. And as the group headed forward, only sounds of splashing water were heard, until Haru turned and faced the others.

"Stop being so quiet! It feels like you're not even here!" she snapped angrily. Some distance into the forest, a few birds flew away from the noise.

"Haru-chan, if you could just calm down…" Anji said, trying to assuage her. "Don't be frustrated."

"I'm not frustrated." Haru pouted. "It's just that all of you seem dead already!" she pointed an accusing finger at the group. "Ever since Yoshi-nii-chan died, you all are all quiet, and you're not even happy anymore! It's like…you don't have any will to live anymore! And that's what's sad."

"It's called a period of mourning. We're supposed to be quiet." Tsubaki told her. "And who are you to say? You were crying just yesterday."

"Tsubaki-nee-chan was the one who said to have more courage. But even that is pointless if you don't have hope in your life. For all we know, we could all just be walking in circles, stuck in the past. It'll never get us anywhere."

"The past isn't that bad. Where would you be without it—" Megumi asked. "Ah! Watch your step! Haru-chan!"

"Huh?" Haru stopped walking backwards just in time to notice a baby bird lying on the ground. "Tori-chan! (1)" She picked up the little bird. She glanced upwards toward the distant leafy canopy. "You fell a long way."

Suddenly, a giant hand descended in front of Haru, palm raised upwards facing the sky. Tsubaki noticed the hand's size, and then the size of the man whom the hand belonged to. Tsubaki stepped forward protectively before Haru. "What do you want from Haru?" she demanded.

"The bird. The nest is high up."

Haru reluctantly gave up the bird and deposited it into the hand. As the bird was being carried to its nest, she tugged on Soujiro's sleeve. "Do you think that it was right for me to leave Tori-chan?"

"Mmm…I guess so. Tori-chan has her own family to return to. So I guess it would be right."

Haru smiled. "Even if I only knew her for a moment, I'll miss her. I hope I can see her again someday!"

There were sounds of gunshots.

Bloody feathers rained down from the heavens.

"Tori-chan!" Haru raced off toward the direction of the shots. It was no long before she encountered the giant man, bleeding on the ground, unconscious. Scattered around him were the remnants of a bird's nest, the birds, lying on the ground, dead.

She was jerked back roughly by a police officer. "Careful! You don't know when that monster will kill you! "

"Kill me? But he was returning Tori-chan to her family…" Confused, Haru began to cry.

The policeman keeping Haru away from was swiftly knocked away by Tsubaki's fist. "What did you say to make Haru-chan cry!" she demanded, clenching her fist. "How can you do something that cruel?"

The policeman approached Tsubaki disdainfully, rubbing the sore spot on his head where Tsubaki's punch had connected. "I was trying to keep her away from that terrible monster we were trying to kill. You can't tell how long it takes these monsters to die."

"He's dead." Megumi confirmed. She sat next to the giant's enormous head; her hand lay on his neck, directly atop the jugular. "There's no pulse."

"How do you know that monsters have pulses?" the policeman inquired.

Megumi glanced at him, annoyed. "Since he's leaking blood, I'm assuming he has a heart. A heart, therefore, must beat for a living organism to continue living. Without a pulse, the organism is dead."

"Are you sure?" the policeman asked hesitantly. Megumi nodded. "All right." He called out to the other policemen. "Our work is done, let's get back to town!" Without further words exchanged, the police troop left.

As soon as they were gone, Haru ran to Megumi, next to the giant's side. "No! The nice Fuji-san can't be dead! He's too nice to die! Isn't he, Megumi-nee-san!"

"Hai, he is. That's why he's still alive."

"What? But didn't you say…?" The other children stared at Megumi in disbelief.

"Okay, so I exaggerated a bit. But it got rid of the policemen, at the very least." Megumi confessed nonchalantly, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder.

Haru brightened. "Then he's going to live?" she said optimistically.

"I never said that."

"Oh. But you're a doctor, ne? Can you make Fuji-san alive again?" Haru pleaded with Megumi.

Megumi assured the girl. "I'll try my best, and, why did you call him Fuji-san?" she asked Haru.

"Anji-oshou taught me before that Japan's tallest mountain's name is Fuji-san. And since he's the biggest person I've seen, his name should be Fuji-san!"

Megumi laughed. "Well, when Fuji-san gets better, you can ask him if he likes that name!"

* * *

Five hours later, they still remained at the clearing when "Fuji-san" lain. Megumi and Anji were trying their best to keep Fuji alive, and despite their efforts, the approaching evening dampened Fuji's chance of survival. And to make it worse, a misty drizzle made the atmosphere clammy and even more depressing.

Soujiro and the rest of the children, who couldn't help, stood around, holding umbrellas for Megumi and Anji.

"Anji-oshou, why do we have to stay here in the rain? The policemen shot him, so he's a bad person, so why are you trying to save him?" Tasuke asked, irritated by the time spent doing nothing.

"Because it's right, that's all." Anji replied calmly.

Tsubaki bonked his head with the free hand that wasn't holding Gorou. "Tasuke-kun, you little war-obsessed idiot, can't you think of anything besides judgment? We're saving him because he's not a bad person."

He stuck out his tongue in response. "What about you, Tsubaki-nee-chan? It didn't take that long to call me an idiot, did it? So you're as bad as me, then!"

Tsubaki was ready to chastise him again if it weren't for Haru tugging on the hem of her haori. "What is it, Haru-chan?"

"I'm dizzy. I want to sleep. I want Akane-chan." As if to emphasize her point, her shoulders drooped and she leaned her weight on Tsubaki.

"Um, Haru-chan, can you please try to stay awake a little longer? Fuji-san would like to thank you once he gets better, okay?" Tsubaki's words were in vain, as Haru had fallen asleep standing there. "Soujiro-kun, do you mind if you carry Haru-chan for a while until she wakes up? I can't carry both her and Gorou, and I don't want her falling into the mud."

"Areh? Oh, of course." He easily lifted Haru onto his back—it wasn't anything like carrying rice, so he didn't mind. "Hey, do you see that light?"

"Yeah, I hope those policemen aren't back to collect the body! Ah, no worries, it's just some old guy. Wow! His head is disproportional compared to his height…"

"Tsubaki, that's not very nice."

"It's true, isn't it?"

"I think he might have heard you. He's coming this way."

"He's been coming this way for the past few seconds. Maybe he can help us. Ojii-san (2)! Do you happen to know if there's a town nearby?"

The old man walked up to them before answering. "A monk and six children? What a terrific way of traipsing around the country. Got kicked out by the Meiji government, huh? What's this dead weight?" he said, poking Fuji with his cane.

"I'm sorry to take up your time," Anji greeted, "Our temple burned down, so we don't have any place to go. Is there an inn nearby where we can spend the night?"

"None that will accommodate you and your monstrous friend. But tell me, what do you hope to accomplish by trying to save this monster, it's obviously a waste of your time and efforts." The old man said.

"But he was nice to us," Megumi said, "We don't want him to die, and a little girl will be very sad if he did."

"Try to make the townspeople believe that. They'll rip you apart more fiercely than the Meiji government ever could. If you need a place to stay, you're welcome to stay at my home. My name's Saizuchi. That's all you ever need to know."

"Thank you very much, but are we just going to leave Fuji-san here?" Tsubaki queried. "We can't really move him, so…"

"Fuji, eh?" Saizuchi muttered, fingering his hoary mustache. "Well, I'll find some way of using him…moving him. Hey, fool." He called to no one in particular, "I need you to move."

A buoyant noise was heard through the forest as a rotund heap of flesh bounced through the forest. "Gufu." The heap said, grinning idiotically.

"Move that half-dead monster for me." Saizuchi commanded the rotund heap.

Iwanbo scratched his head, not hearing Saizuchi at all. "Gufu?"

"You know what I mean! Now get to it, or do I have to dissemble you?" the old man threatened with his cane.

Iwanbo took his time, yawning, as he bore Fuji away. When he arrived at a large cavern, he promptly dropped Fuji inside and bounced away, laughing his empty laugh.

* * *

It was much later when Saizuchi led the others to his lair for whatever reason he refused to reveal to them. The place was enormous, but the cluttering of and dusty tomes and a heavy medicinal smell made it seem cramped. Saizuchi simply allowed them to find room for themselves, warning them not to disturb the ancient volumes, nor to enter some random number of rooms without his permission, nor to make too much noise. Naturally, only Anji understood these terms perfectly.

After thanking Saizuchi profusely, Anji and Megumi went to look for Fuji, who they both deemed to be in critical condition, while Tsubaki led everyone else to rest and wait for Anji and Megumi.

Finding a room that was relatively uncluttered, Tsubaki ordered Tasuke to set up the blankets for the sleeping Haru and Gorou. Upon Tasuke's refusal, Tsubaki promptly slapped him over the head and shoved Gorou into his arms, completing the task herself. Relieved of his chores, Tasuke entertained himself by teasing his nee-chan.

"Tsubaki-nee-chan, you're really short-tempered-"

"I know. Shut up."

"-And sometimes when your hair is messed up, you look like an owl-"

Tsubaki threw a wooden cup at him, which clattered harmlessly against the wall.

"-And very violent for a girl-"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut Up!" Tsubaki hissed, and snatched Gorou from Tasuke, tucking the baby under the blankets.

"-And-" Tasuke started, only to be interrupted by Soujiro, who had laid Haru under the blankets as well.

"Saizuchi-san told us to be quiet, so we shouldn't fight with each other. Ne, Tsubaki-san?" he said, picking up the wooden cup which Tsubaki threw. "I'm going to go look for Megumi-san. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone, I don't really want to be the only one left here."

"Eh? Why?" Tsubaki asked. "Isn't Megumi busy with Fuji-san?"

"It's because he can't stand to be in the same room as you."

"What!"

"No, I just think that Haru-chan has a fever, so I'm going to find Megumi-san." Soujiro said.

"Haru-chan's sick? Ah, go find Megumi-chan if she's not too busy. I'm going to go look for some flowers." Tsubaki said.

"Flowers? Haru-chan's not dead yet."

"I know, but she loves flowers; she'll get better soon. I think I saw some red ones on the way here."

* * *

"This looks familiar." Megumi said as she worked at plucking out another bullet.

"Yes, we've been doing this for the entire afternoon." Anji replied, "You seem tired. If you need a break, I can still work. Why don't you have a rest?"

Megumi shook her head, bloodied hands never stopping. "I'm fine, but I meant that this is really familiar to Yoshi-kun. I worked really hard to save him, but he died anyway. I told Haru-chan he'll live…would it be worth it to go through all the trouble even though it might be a waste? Any normal person won't live through an injury like this."

"Any normal person wouldn't have lived as long as Fuji-san already did. I don't think we should judge who is to live and who is to die. A healer's job is to help the patient; whether the patient is healed or not is up to the patient and divine will to decide. But in any case, we should try, shouldn't we?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I'm doing this right." She looked up when something caught her eye. "Hey, isn't that Sou-chan wandering around?" she speculated.

Anji glanced in the same direction as Megumi. "Yes, it is. Soujiro-kun, we're over here!"

Soujiro sprinted forth, clutching a tattered umbrella that didn't seem to fulfill its purpose. "Anji-san! Haru-chan has a fever!"

Upon hearing the news, Anji sighed. "Not again…Megumi-chan, can I ask you to take care of Haru-chan this time?"

"But what if I do something wrong? You know so much more about medicine than me." Megumi protested.

"You'll be fine. She's usually better in two or three days. I just need you to make sure she doesn't get any worse. I can handle Fuji-san. Why don't you two get back inside?"

Tsubaki carefully picked her way through the wild garden, clutching the bouquet red flowers in one fist, holding an old umbrella with the other.

Under the gentle tinkle of raindrops falling from the canopy, Tsubaki began to feel enlighteningly alone. Everything was pale and cold, save for herself and the bright red flowers that would be dead because she had chosen them.

* * *

Glossary:

1) Tori – Bird

2) Ojii-san – grandfather, or as applied here, old man.

Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long to update (And it's short). I had to save my grades first from clutches of evil! (But now I have straight A's. Yay! I'm proud of my achievements. Don't rain on my parade!)

I don't like writing transitional chapters. I have to go through the trouble of introducing everyone only to have them not do anything later. If you didn't get it from the chapter, Megumi is supposed to feel very useless right now and Tsubaki…has problems. Internal conflict abounds! Wheeeee!

Question: Do any of you know if Hobbes is the guy who wrote Leviathan and possibly Behemoth (I think it's a book…)? If that's it, then Hobbes is going to be the model for Saizuchi (oh no, the logic! Speaking of which, I totally didn't understand the logic concept I was taught in Geometry, so that'll tell you how my brain works…).

Smiling Rose: Weird? Yes, I think that would be a good word to describe me with…

Charming Woman: Well…it'll be kind of pointless to throw all of those characters down the drain. I consider it as more practice for character development (and I apologize for altering any personality they had beforehand, a bunch of innocent kids just isn't that interesting). Unfortunately, I don't think Yoshi had enough of a personality before I killed…er…removed him from the fic…

Damsel in Distress: Thanks! I'm glad you think so!

Random Person: Thank you!


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